All of our abundant snow.

Photo copyright Aji, 2026; all rights reserved.

Aren't you impressed with all of our abundant snow from last night? That was early this morning. As you can see, we couldn't even get an actual dusting out of it.

All gone now, of course. And supposedly we're getting 3" overnight, but at the moment, I don't believe that we're getting anything at all. The skies are almost entirely clear. what we do have, though, despite the bitter, brutal cold of today? 

Horrible allergies.

We can thank the gale-force winds for that . . . and the climate collapse that has all sorts of invasive species already pollinating. And also native species that should still be dormant. There are clumps of green grass sprouting everywhere, for heaven's sake.

The one saving grace today has been one bit of good news that takes the pressure off me in one significant way. Don't get me wrong; we still nee to maintain the same pace with sales. That's not going to change, and it's still urgent. But one source of abject terror is gone.

Still, there's all the medical stuff, tool I'm already under unspeakable pressure this year, never mind the need to make up for the last two terrible ones. Our floor for sales and breaking even is making a minimum of one sale per week for the year, and we're still more than two weeks in the hole on that score. So we still have to bring in sales, and weekly. Links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here [priorities are the LaminaSaver, because apparently Miika's out of it again; and the rugs, to replace those destroyed 2 years ago by the leachfield collapse and ensuing septic disaster];
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

And we do still need to make those regular weekly sales, so please share all of the links. We really do need to get this year onto a better footing than the last two, and so far, it's been impossibly grim.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2026; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

#ThrowbackThursday: The Medicine Blues of the Cold-Weather Storm

Photo copyright Wings, 2026; all rights reserved.

It's #TBT at The NDN Silver Blog, with a #ThrowbackThursday work that dates back some thirteen years, to one of Wings's signature series that is especially close to his heart. It's  a Warrior Woman set with not one but two laps cabochons, perfect for the medicine blues of the cold-weather storm.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. This work will never be duplicated exactly, but if the general style speaks to your spirit, simply inquire via the site's Contact form; Wings can create a version uniquely your own. It's a new calendar year, and we very much need to make this a better than the last two have been. That begins with a minimum of one sale a week, without fail, and it's already February and we're still more than two weeks behind.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2026; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.    

Three tiny flakes.

Photo copyright Aji, 2026; all rights reserved.

This is what it looked like all day. And we got maybe three tiny flakes out of it here.

Until ten minutes ago. Now we have a blizzard.

That doesn't mean we'll have any accumulation. We might; might not. My guess is not much. but what it does mean is that right now we have gale-force winds, blowing and drifting snow, and flakes coming so hard and fast that it'll be white-out conditions on the roads, so I'm glad we're in for the night.

But we need the snow, so we're grateful, even in spite of the winds.

But good god, do they ever jack my pain levels up way past anything manageable.

And I need to get something to work. I'm already under unspeakable pressure this year, never mind the need to make up for the last two terrible ones. Our floor for sales and breaking even is making a minimum of one sale per week for the year, and we're still two weeks in the hole now. I don't have enough hours in the day as it is, and I can't afford what's been happening to me. Regardless of side effects or disease progression, I've got to do something to bring in sales. We need to bring in a lot more, because it's grim. Links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here [priorities are the LaminaSaver, because apparently Miika's out of it again; and the rugs, to replace those destroyed 2 years ago by the leachfield collapse and ensuing septic disaster];
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

And we do still need to make those regular weekly sales, so please share all of the links. We really do need to begin this year on a better footing than the last two, and so far, it's been impossibly grim.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2026; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

The Cold-Season Blues of Creation

Photo copyright Aji, 2026; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a masterwork of traditional Indigenous silversmithing in necklace form, one that reminds us that we are witness at the birth of new worlds. It's an extraordinary vintage-style work, a spectacular royal lapis cabochon framed by freehand ingot overlays and strung from beads hand-selected to match, all of them manifest as the cold-season blues of creation now.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. It's a new calendar year, and we very much need to make this a better year than the last two have been. That begins with a minimum of one sale a week, without fail. It's February already and we're still more than two weeks behind on what, it's become clear, is going to be a hard and costly year.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2026; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.        

Nope. Not a flake, not a drop.

Photo copyright Aji, 2026; all rights reserved.

Good lord, what a horrible day. The gale-force winds did indeed materialize. The snow and rain? Nope. Not a flake, not a drop. 

All the pain did, though. Now that Wings is developing osteoarthritis, he's beginning to understand what I've meant all these years [me with the inflammatory, rheumatoid variety] about wind being absolutely the worst thing for my body. I have hurt from head to toe, every single joint system, every fiber of my being, all day long. My pain meds have done nothing. And I've had virtually no sleep two night's straight, courtesy of that same pain, so today was much worse than it needed to be.

Nothing works. And I"m so tired of all of it. I need to get something to work. I'm already under unspeakable pressure this year, never mind the need to make up for the last two terrible ones. Our floor for sales and breaking even is making a minimum of one sale per week for the year, and we're still two weeks in the hole now. I don't have enough hours in the day as it is, and I can't afford what's been happening to me. Regardless of side effects or disease progression, I've got to do something to bring in sales. We need to bring in a lot more, because it's grim. Links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here [priorities are the LaminaSaver, because apparently Miika's out of it again; and the rugs, to replace those destroyed 2 years ago by the leachfield collapse and ensuing septic disaster];
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

And we do still need to make those regular weekly sales, so please share all of the links. We really do need to begin this year on a better footing than the last two, and so far, it's been impossibly grim.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2026; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Red Willow Spirit: Winter's Post-Storm Beaded Blues

Photo copyright Wings, 2026;
all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's an edition of Red Willow Spirit for what should be a week of winter weather instead of the harshest conditions that spring has to offer. It's two images from just over seven years ago exactly, linked by an all-new [and already sold] work of wearable art, all of them illustrating the ethereal beauty of winter's post-storm beaded blues.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. It's a new calendar year, and we very much need to make this a better year than the last two have been. That begins with a minimum of one sale a week, without fail. It's February already and we're still two weeks behind on what, it's become clear, is going to be a hard and costly year.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2026; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.        

Wave clouds.

Photo copyright Aji, 2026; all rights reserved.

Wave clouds late this morning, although most of what's up there was contrails. Real clouds this afternoon, and supposedly rain, but no. I do believe them about the extreme winds forecast for tomorrow, though, and that's gonna suck. There's nothing as hard on my joints and connective tissues as wind. Not cold, heat, snow, rain, nothing. If it manages to bring the snow to us, though, I'll put up with it for a day.

Expensive day today, well over $400 cash at the doctor's office. Most of that was what Medicare is suddenly refusing to cover for him, but even my own was over $125. It's all more than we could afford given what else is in the expense pipeline, but there wasn't a choice.

The good news is that maybe part of my current problem is not too little medication but too much. My inflammatory markers are at their lowest level probably ever in my life, and that's due entirely to the immunosuppressants, particularly the chemo. [The steroids do wonders for my joints but the headache is a nonstop nightmare, and it carries with the risk of intra-ocular pressure that can lead to glaucoma, so I got clearance to stop the steroid bursts a week early.] But on the theory that if my SR and CRP are that low now, my regular chemo dose might now be too much, I've been unilaterally backing off on it since last week. Even last week's lower dose had me feeling like death, but today [chemo day] I titrated down one more level, and so far, it's better than last week. Not great, but at this point, any improvement is a big deal, because the last several weeks [months, actually, now] have been pure misery.

And I need to get something to work. I'm already under unspeakable pressure this year, never mind the need to make up for the last two terrible ones. Our floor for sales and breaking even is making a minimum of one sale per week for the year, and we're still two weeks in the hole now. I don't have enough hours in the day as it is, and I can't afford what's been happening to me. Regardless of side effects or disease progression, I've got to do something to bring in sales. We need to bring in a lot more, because it's grim. Links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here [priorities are the LaminaSaver, because apparently Miika's out of it again; and the rugs, to replace those destroyed 2 years ago by the leachfield collapse and ensuing septic disaster];
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

And we do still need to make those regular weekly sales, so please share all of the links. We really do need to begin this year on a better footing than the last two, and so far, it's been impossibly grim.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2026; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.