Returned for the season. A return of major costs, too. Sales badly needed now; subscribers and shares help, too.

Photo copyright Aji, 2018; all rights reserved.

Out of focus, but still beautiful. I missed seeing her husband take off; they were perched side by side for a couple of hours yesterday morning. They have returned for the season, here to stay early, it seems.

Today will be day three of plumbers, and as I said yesterday, they think they've isolated the problem. If they're right — IF — it will be a much easier and less expensive fix than the alternative, but we won't know for probably a week or so yet. There will still be the repairs to the wall. Fortunately, it all seems to be confined to interior damage, and if it is indeed superficial, Sherm should be able to handle it without tearing out the wall and redoing it. But again, we won't know for a little while yet, and Sherm's work is still going to cost us. Today is going to be fraught as it is; a ton of errands to run (we need dog food and other supplies, and I have shipping to do, among a bunch of other things), and then dealing with the plumbers if the part has come in (no sure thing).

As I also said yesterday, 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. I'm already way behind on this day (and on the week as a whole), 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.