#TBT: Heeding the Messengers

Photo copyright Wings, 2022; all rights reserved.

It's #ThrowbackThursday at The NDN Silver Blog, with a #TBT work that was the very first in an informal and intermittent vintage-style series dating back a full dozen years ago. It's an homage to the oldest of Indigenous silverwork methods and styles, a labor-intensive reminder about the importance of heeding the messengers who come to us with wisdom to impart.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. This work will never be duplicated exactly, but if the style speaks to your spirit, simply inquire via the site's Contact form; Wings can create a version uniquely your own. We will still need to make consistent sales to make it through this third year of pandemic and loss (and a spectacularly costly couple of months, with much more to come), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.   

Imploding simultaneously.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

That was last night's post-storm sky. I got a few shots, but I couldn't really do much with it; have my BG go through the floor to 60 wiped me out for the night. I'm already off the meds, but this is still happening, and I have no idea how long it will take to get my system clear of them. Meanwhile, my insulin production is still in hyperdrive (I mean, even more than usual for a life-long hypoglycemic), and the muscle contractures are worsening. 

It's getting hard to cope with all of these things imploding simultaneously. I'm used to dealing with constant pain; constant fatigue and insomnia from the pain, too. But this is impairing my ability to function in really basic ways, and I don't have the time for it, going into the fall business season. I also don't have the money for a rheumatologist, or the time and physical ability to travel out of town for appointments anyway (no, there isn't one here).

I spent last night too wiped out by it even to cry.

I've got to bring in more sales, and I've got to find a way to create more ours in the day to get stuff done. This morning we had to go in to the dentist for Wings's ongoing issues with the earlier work (part of it broke), and there will be a lot of follow-ups between now and the time it's done. I have to go to the doctor next week myself, and that will be a cash appointment. None of that includes the pain therapy appointments, which I haven't even had a chance to reschedule. And I just feel like death all the time.

As I mentioned yesterday, most likely, I will soon have a fundraising post up on behalf of someone very important to us (maybe tonight or tomorrow). We'll be giving, and I'm going to be asking everyone else to give, too, and to share it with your networks. It's for Wings's son, who is working hard at making a go of his own business, but who needs to be able to invest in the single most essential component of it, and the price tag is, of course, out of reach. This is what keeps a roof over his head in a place very far away, and we need to help him do that.

Meanwhile, Wings is still cranking out new inventory when he can. The last in his gemstone bead Elementals series posted last Sunday, here (and you do want to click through each entry and see the other angles). Three nights ago, I posted his four brand-new pieces, one cuff and three rings (one of which is already sold), here. And he's got a whole host of other pieces in the works. But he's suddenly having to be much more mindful of what he creates, given the crisis-level spike in silver prices.

As I said earlier, we just learned that both silver suppliers in this state have more than tripled their silver prices (for some types of silver, much more), which has left me pretty badly shaken. And it's across the board; even small things, like findings and earring wires and backs, have gone way, way up. He's got enough for now to do what he needs to do, but nothing's going to change anytime soon, given that the justifications for it will be "supply-chain issues," "fuel prices," "war in Ukraine," and "inflation"; these prices are here for the foreseeable future. It's going to put a lot of Native smiths and jewelers completely out of business, and to make sure that Wings does not become one of them, I have GOT to make some sales. That's especially true with the holidays coming; these silver spikes are going to make this fall a crisis point for a lot of jewelers. Unfortunately, I'm being hobbled by everything else, not least of which is this flare that is making the progression in my illness much worse: numbness, contractures, crippling pain, another side effect that has forced me to discontinue my lupus meds entirely (dangerously low BG, and now I'm getting the muscle-contracture effects of doing without it). I'm going to need help to do this. All the links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priority is first and foremost, the other ladder; also sheets, especially replacing the navy ones that are falling apart now);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

We're still hoping to put aside enough for a new well when the ground thaws enough to drill in the spring, too, Nah, we've given up on the well. No one's available to drill before late next year at the earliest, and this year's tax burden means we would never be able to afford it anyway. But it's even more of a good time to make a purchase, because Uncle Sam is a vindictive colonizer, and my current stress levels about paying it all are off the charts. And there's lots of fabulous work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                                              

The Messages of the Skies

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a masterwork to honor the small messenger spirits of the season, and the illuminating skies and summer winds that carry them to us. It's an old traditional-style butterfly concha belt wrought freehand, set with the power of the rain and the force of the storm, all here with its own "butterflies" to deliver the messages of the skies.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We badly need to make consistent sales to make it through this third year of pandemic and loss (and a spectacularly costly couple of months, with much more to come), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.      

Ridiculous.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

Nice to have my girl back for a little while yesterday — the whole family, in fact; the third red-tail was out of camera range to the left. I didn't see any of them today, but I heard the youngster; he's on the hunt every day now.

Everything's late today for multiple reasons: First, we had to go pick up scrips today, and more than $200 cash for that later, plus a couple of other errands, and we didn't get home until early afternoon. Second, I had to take time out from writing to make red chile, as I had promised (Frito pies!). Third, my med-induced hyperactive insulin production kicked into high gear again, and my glucose bottomed out at 60. [That's nowhere near the lowest it's been, just the lowest this week that i've actually tested.] No, I am not diabetic. I am hypoglycemic. Have been my entire life. The hydroxychloroquine I take for lupus has sent my insulin production into seemingly-permanent overdrive, and even though I stopped taking it last week (and was already down to a half-dose even then), I'm still dealing with the fallout. When it drops that low, it takes me the rest of the night to get my equilibrium back, so expect things to be a little weird for the rest of the evening. Yeah, I feel like absolute shit.

Oh, and it's pouring, after an incredibly hot dry day. The sun is shining brightly, and the rain is bucketing down at flash-flood levels. It's ridiculous, but that's summer here.

As I mentioned yesterday, most likely, I will soon have a fundraising post up on behalf of someone very important to us (maybe tonight or tomorrow). We'll be giving, and I'm going to be asking everyone else to give, too, and to share it with your networks. It's for Wings's son, who is working hard at making a go of his own business, but who needs to be able to invest in the single most essential component of it, and the price tag is, of course, out of reach. This is what keeps a roof over his head in a place very far away, and we need to help him do that.

Meanwhile, Wings is still cranking out new inventory when he can. The last in his gemstone bead Elementals series posted last Sunday, here (and you do want to click through each entry and see the other angles). Three nights ago, I posted his four brand-new pieces, one cuff and three rings (one of which is already sold), here. And he's got a whole host of other pieces in the works. But he's suddenly having to be much more mindful of what he creates, given the crisis-level spike in silver prices.

As I said earlier, we just learned that both silver suppliers in this state have more than tripled their silver prices (for some types of silver, much more), which has left me pretty badly shaken. And it's across the board; even small things, like findings and earring wires and backs, have gone way, way up. He's got enough for now to do what he needs to do, but nothing's going to change anytime soon, given that the justifications for it will be "supply-chain issues," "fuel prices," "war in Ukraine," and "inflation"; these prices are here for the foreseeable future. It's going to put a lot of Native smiths and jewelers completely out of business, and to make sure that Wings does not become one of them, I have GOT to make some sales. That's especially true with the holidays coming; these silver spikes are going to make this fall a crisis point for a lot of jewelers. Unfortunately, I'm being hobbled by everything else, not least of which is this flare that is making the progression in my illness much worse: numbness, contractures, crippling pain, another side effect that has forced me to discontinue my lupus meds entirely (dangerously low BG, and now I'm getting the muscle-contracture effects of doing without it). I'm going to need help to do this. All the links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priority is first and foremost, the other ladder; also sheets, especially replacing the navy ones that are falling apart now);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

We're still hoping to put aside enough for a new well when the ground thaws enough to drill in the spring, too, Nah, we've given up on the well. No one's available to drill before late next year at the earliest, and this year's tax burden means we would never be able to afford it anyway. But it's even more of a good time to make a purchase, because Uncle Sam is a vindictive colonizer, and my current stress levels about paying it all are off the charts. And there's lots of fabulous work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                                              

Red Willow Spirit: Acts of Balance and Transcendence

Photo copyright Wings, 2022;
all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's an edition of Red Willow Spirit for those small fragile spirits of summer who inspire us, who bring our world beauty and medicine. It's a lesson, too, in what really has the potential to save a world on the brink of collapse: humble creatures, old objects, small steps that become acts of balance and transcendence.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. As always, his photos are available in any of the usual three formats; simply inquire via the site's Contact form. We will still need to make consistent sales to make it through this third year of pandemic and loss (and a spectacularly costly couple of months, with much more to come), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.       

Hoping for better from August.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

That was what it looked like yesterday afternoon here. Until around five o'clock, when a lightning bolt hit about four feet from the north wall of the house, and took out our power. We got our power restored in what is, for this place, record time — just a little over an hour. The violent weather, though (and violent is the only accurate word for it, with a lightning storm hovering right overhead and the rain coming down as heavy and hard as hail without the ice) last more than twice that long.

The dirt road at our north boundary is, of course, a mess, and it washed out partially into the highway last night, not that the tourists took the least bit of care coming up on the deadman's curve it flooded. The burn scars over where the fire was are, I'm sure, in catastrophic shape today. And there will be a lot more rain to come, according to the forecast. We're just grateful that here, it's only helping the land. Also grateful that July is done, but hoping for better from August.

Later today, most likely, I will have a fundraising post up on behalf of someone very important to us. We'll be giving, and I'm going to be asking everyone else to give, too, and to share it with your networks. It's for Wings's son, who is working hard at making a go of his own business, but who needs to be able to invest in the single most essential component of it, and the price tag is, of course, out of reach. This is what keeps a roof over his head in a place very far away, and we need to help him do that.

Meanwhile, Wings is still cranking out new inventory when he can. The last in his gemstone bead Elementals series posted last Sunday, here (and you do want to click through each entry and see the other angles). Three nights ago, I posted his four brand-new pieces, one cuff and three rings (one of which is already sold), here. And he's got a whole host of other pieces in the works. But he's suddenly having to be much more mindful of what he creates, given the crisis-level spike in silver prices.

As I said earlier, we just learned that both silver suppliers in this state have more than tripled their silver prices (for some types of silver, much more), which has left me pretty badly shaken. And it's across the board; even small things, like findings and earring wires and backs, have gone way, way up. He's got enough for now to do what he needs to do, but nothing's going to change anytime soon, given that the justifications for it will be "supply-chain issues," "fuel prices," "war in Ukraine," and "inflation"; these prices are here for the foreseeable future. It's going to put a lot of Native smiths and jewelers completely out of business, and to make sure that Wings does not become one of them, I have GOT to make some sales. That's especially true with the holidays coming; these silver spikes are going to make this fall a crisis point for a lot of jewelers. Unfortunately, I'm being hobbled by everything else, not least of which is this flare that is making the progression in my illness much worse: numbness, contractures, crippling pain, another side effect that has forced me to discontinue my lupus meds entirely (dangerously low BG, and now I'm getting the muscle-contracture effects of doing without it). I'm going to need help to do this. All the links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priority is first and foremost, the other ladder);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

We're still hoping to put aside enough for a new well when the ground thaws enough to drill in the spring, too, Nah, we've given up on the well. No one's available to drill before late next year at the earliest, and this year's tax burden means we would never be able to afford it anyway. But it's even more of a good time to make a purchase, because Uncle Sam is a vindictive colonizer, and my current stress levels about paying it all are off the charts. And there's lots of fabulous work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                                              

Monday Photo Meditation: Endless Possibility

Photo copyright Wings, 2022; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a photo meditation for the first Monday — first day — in the last full month of official summer. It's a contemplation of the nature of hope in the face of catastrophe and worse, a reminder that we have an obligation to see, clear-eyed, the endless possibility of hope, and to work for its transformation into tangible truth. 

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. As always, his photos are available in any of the usual three formats; simply inquire via the site's Contact form. We badly need to make consistent sales to make it through this third year of pandemic and loss (with much more to come), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.