Winter is here; so is the snow. So is an avalanche of costs. Sales needed (new work up!), and subscribers and shares, too.

Photo copyright Aji, 2018; all rights reserved.

Dawn. We got about ten inches total, although you can't really tell from this angle because of the blowing off the top of the arbor. Town got quite a bit less; they're lower and warmer, and they got rain mixed with it; up here, it was all snow.

I have been forbidden to do anything in it because of my breathing and other issues. Wings has already plowed some basic paths, and he's upstairs now shoveling it off the deck. It's bright and sunny now but very cold; the wind chill this morning was at zero for hours, and tonight's low (actual temp, not wind chill) is supposed to be one above zero. Which means, because we're higher, that it will likely drop a few degrees below zero instead.

Winter's not coming; it's already here.

A couple of things: First, go to Cherie's GFM page and kick in some scratch. We've donated more than we could, 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. But it appears that she can still put the funds to use, so let's make sure that she gets to keep her home, hmm? Nebraska's already getting snow, too, and she and her family should not be out on the street in the winter weather. Their survival matters 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.

We have a lot to do today. Most of it will geared around storm prep, but there are other demands on our time and attention, too. Most of my own 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.