I'd like to exchange this cold for snow, please. Another exchange of a destructive sort. Sales very, very much needed now.

Photo copyright Aji, 2018; all rights reserved.

They still have a lot more snow to the south than we have up here. I would trade this brutal cold and bitter wind for snow in a heartbeat.

Hugely busy today, and the plumbers haven't shown up yet.  They're more than 2.5 hours late already. I am trying my damnedest not to let my blood pressure spike over all of it, but it's a complete mess, and this sort of thing isn't improving it any. The plumbing work is going to extend into other work; the best guess at the moment is that something in the exchange with the water heater and softener has been leaking in the wall since day one, and it's finally begun to break through. We won't know until the open the wall, which was supposed to be today, but we can't have it compromised and open during the winter, so we're going to have to raise the scratch to redo the plasterwork and floor once the plumbers fix this disaster. Ordinarily, the sales and commissions we get this time of year are what see us through six long hard months of winter (but that has not the been the case the last couple of years); on top of ordinary winter cost of living and now this construction mess, I have more tests upcoming soon on top of the tens of thousands of dollars' worth of medical debt already trying to drive me into an early grave. Time is short for the holidays, so if you have special orders, get them in to me now so he has time to create them for you. 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.