Freezing-Over Moon, and snow on the way. A lot to be thankful for, but sales are still needed to get us through the winter.

Photo copyright Aji, 2018; all rights reserved.

The Freezing-Over Moon, not quite full. It fits; we have snow on the way for tonight, and fierce cold winds, too. We will do as we usually do on this day, which is not to celebrate Thanksgiving, but thanksgiving. A friend hooked us up with a perfect little turkey, 8.6 pounds, from one of the farms south of here, and it's currently soaking in a [very diluted version of a] brine; it'll get seasoned and go into the oven soon. I made two pies yesterday, one pumpkin, one pecan; we'll have cornbread, wild rice, and cranberry stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, and herbed sweet potatoes with squash. Mostly stuff that we always have on hand, and sized for two people and a couple of days' worth of leftovers. 

We have a lot to be thankful for.

We also have a lot to worry about. Late last night, a leak came through the wall of the laundry room. Wings has already called the plumber; they'll be out tomorrow morning. The hay is covered; we have plenty for the horses now, plenty of wood to keep the house warm, and plenty of food. As I've also said, a busy week in all sorts of ways (good for distracting me briefly from grief, if nothing else, and you can read about that here if you so choose), and I need to make sales consistently now to get us through the winter. This day is going to be very busy, so most of the rest is cut-and-paste.

A couple of things: First, go to Cherie's GFM page and kick in some scratch. We've already donated more than we could afford, and we're tapped out on that front; half a dozen things coming due for us over the course of this coming week, to say nothing of what's lurking on the medical front, all adding up to huge dollar amounts. We also had to help Wings's clan brother the other day; he needed to get down to Santa Fe for emergency surgery and follow-ups after injuring his hand a few days ago, and it's something they can't do here in town. But Cherie can still put the funds to use, so let's make sure that she gets to keep her home, hmm? Their survival matters too. it's Thanksgiving; if you have a home to be grateful for, kick in $2 or $5 or $10 or $20 (or a lot more) to make sure she has a chance to keep hers. It's winter in Nebraska already, too.

Second, we need sales desperately now; outside testing doesn't pay for itself, nor do taxes and other obligations, nor does the wood or the hay. Wings has just finished his next collection, and I've posted it and the previous one already, plus all his new earrings. There's also a change to the links in the list: I've moved the gift cards for Lowe's and Amazon back up to the top of our Amazon wishlist, because we're at the point where more things that need finishing on the house require purchases we can't afford. Finally, if you're contemplating commissions for holiday gifts, now is the time to get hold of me, because the creative process takes time. Wings can create something spectacular for you, unique to you or to the recipient of it. Also, briefly, a note on the site itself: In an effort to get current inventory up front, I've reordered the first pages of several of the galleries, so you will see a mix of high-end pieces, some of which have already sold, plus inventory currently on offer, both new pieces and less so.

Most of my attention has to be focused on bringing in money, through sales or subscribers or any other means, because the bills don't pay themselves, either, and the heavy burden I'm carrying on that score is inhibiting my ability to heal in a not-insignificant way. Please share these routinely:

• My new Patreon, The Interstices (Writing Between Worlds);
• Wings's site, for sales, with new items posted;
• Wings's direct PayPal link;
• A way to buy me coffee (which actually goes to all of our medical bills, which continue to mount);
• Amazon wishlist, which mostly consists of animal and household stuff;
• Partial registry #1, from Bed, Bath and Beyond. There are new kitchen-y things on it now, stuff that I didn't realize we'd need to replace (either because the RV ruined it or because we gave it away when we had to downsize).

Please share the links. We're now officially into holiday order season, because commissions take time, so if you're planning on holiday gifts, please keep Wings's work in mind. And given what we're up against, we won't turn away donations, either, because we simply can't afford it.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2018; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.