Twelve Years Ago Today: BearGirl

Photo copyright Wings, 2019;
all rights reserved.

Twelve years ago yesterday, about this very time. It was our last walk together: Wings, me, BearGirl, Hunter. She lay there enjoying the autumn breeze.

She was a gorgeous [then-]11-year-old Newfie who, with her Aussie little sister, captured my heart the moment we all saw each other. The very first time I came to visit, she and Hunter heard the car and somehow knew, and as I turned into the drive they were already rocketing across the field like a pair of fuzzy bullets, ready to greet this woman they had never known existed. BearGirl danced around the open door while Hunter climbed in into the driver's floorboards under my feet, and they grinned at me.

They also never let me go, no matter what.

But on this day, San G, in 2007, we had to let BearGirl go, let her make her final journey. Twelve years ago today, again, almost to the moment. She had been poisoned, slowly, by a medication that caused ulcers, and then tumors, and by the time we knew it, it was already too late. But we tried. Oh, did we try. For four weeks, we gave it everything we had, and she did well up until the last day, when her body simply gave out. She had a small stroke, and that was it; it was time. And no one would come out, save the man who is now our dogs' vet, the same one who helped both She-Wolf and Raven on their way these last two years. He wasn't even on call, but he came. And he helped her, and he wept with us, and he arranged for her cremation, all on a Saturday.

Her ashes, like Hunter's, are scattered across her favorite places, but two in particular: the spot outside the old house where she used to love to lie up against it in the sun, now a part of the earth right outside the corner of this house, and up against one of the standing stones. At a dozen minutes after one, I'll take some cedar and some tobacco and some water out to that stone for her. If we had it to do over again, we'd simply bury them as we have with all of our dogs since, but at the time, it seemed like the right thing somehow. Besides, their spirits are not confined, and I always know when BearGirl's visiting.. She comes to Wings with the flicker, to dance at the end of his flute that she so loved to hear him play; to me, she comes on the scent of sage, the smoke of the medicine. When I smell sage and no one's burning any, I know she's here checking up on us.

BearGirl was our first loss together, of the animals, and it was a terrible one. We mourned for weeks; still do, for that matter. We didn't know, then, that this would be permanent, but BearGirl knew, and so did Hunter. Since then, I have been the keeper of the dates, always, but yesterday Wings asked about her, and I told him that I would be taking care of her spirit today, as always. The animals never harm us; they only give. It feels more necessary to honor their spirits accordingly.

And so, in a few moments, I'll do that, as I do on this day every year. And I'll weep a few more tears for our Makwakwezens. We love you, BearGirl.



All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2019; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Red.

Photo copyright Aji, 2019; all rights reserved.

Lots of early red on the vines; they don't usually go this thoroughly until early October. If the weather forecast for today and tomorrow proves to be accurate, everything will be a lot less green tomorrow. That said, there's barely a wispy white cloud in an indigo sky so clear it could cut diamonds. I'll believe in the rain when I see it. Meanwhile, the red fits my mood, given the level of pain I'm battling today.

San G today for much of this place. For us, it's a marker of another sort, and definitely not the kind to put us in a celebratory mood. I'll have that post up before I bump Ona's back to the top. He's at $13,500 right this moment, and I wanted to see him hit $15K before the end of the weekend, but nothing doing, apparently. I'd like to see it up to $20K for him by the end of this week. We need y'all to keep sharing while the family tries to get transport issues sorted out and keep his recovery going simultaneously. [The transport stuff will require a lot of logistical finessing on a lot of fronts, not the least of which is the medical one, so it's a long process.]

There is so much we have to get done now, too, and so little time in which to do it, and I'm fighting both a migraine and debilitating body-wide pain again today, so it's a slog. And we have got to make some steady sales soon; work-wise, nothing is a greater priority than that right now, and we're making, well, none. We do need to pick up stones and other supplies before we really get into the holiday creative season for Wings, which means soon. And I'm still watching the expenses continue to pile up, and there's nothing coming in to pay for them, and I'm losing my mind trying to juggle it all. Also feeling myself get sucked into the depression undertow again, a combination of being disheartened at how badly this is all going and just the constant hammering of pain at me in ways that none of the medicine, traditional or otherwise, can handle. The rest is all cut-and-paste. I have my own stubborn insistence on survival, no matter how far behind I get, but I'm way behind now and have to get on it. 

For those wondering about my own health issues, see here; with regard to the work being done, some of the details are here. We still have to get the plumber in to finish up, and I regard that as a bigger priority right now in practical terms, so whatever we take in sales-wise will have to go to that. This is all complicated by the fact that, for August, a record number/amount of my Patreon patrons' cards were declined, too, more than $250 worth, so that income is a lot lower than usual and I now have to worry about whether that will be the case for September, too (no, I don't know who and haven't checked; I'm not going to contact anyone who probably is already scrambling to juggle their own stuff, too).

Anyway. Back to the grind; so I need help to get all this done. Folks can help in several ways, and we really need the help now:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Wishlist here;
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here. 

On the wishlist, now the cold is here at night, the flies are getting chased out by the cold, so the top priority is the candles, to deal with the residual mildew odor in the utility room, which I hope the plumber will be here to finish next week now (the utility room work, not the mildew, and yeah, I know I said that last week and the week before and the week before that, too, but there's no money for it). Our electric bill for the summer has been sky-high, in relative terms, because of the need to keep the fan running to push it out the window. And the costs on all of this are killing us right now.

And as I said, sales are ideal, of course; one or two of Wings's bigger pieces would cover the whole shot for this round of work. Patreon subscriptions are good, too. Either way, it's a trade for value. But I'm already feeling panicked at what we thought would be our schedule being so suddenly and thoroughly upended, and we'll take it however it comes at this point. 

Please share everything, because I'm suddenly back behind the eight-ball on a whole additional front, and yeah, I'm scared about covering everything and surviving, too. Thanks.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2019; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Monday Photo Meditation: At the Glowing Angle of Autumn

Photo copyright Wings, 2019; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a photo meditation for a day of celebration, formal and otherwise, a chance to dance in the light in silhouette, long shadows cast before and upon the walls of the original City of Gold. Even for those of us not in attendance today, it's still an opportunity to dance, in our own way, upon this beautiful land that Earth and Sun have granted us: one last dance before the snow flies, now, at the glowing angle of autumn.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. As always, his photos are available in any of the usual three formats; simply inquire via the site's Contact form. Also as always, sales are very much needed (especially now, with repairs forcibly moved up and more medical expenses still in the offing), so shares of the site links are much appreciated. 


All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2019; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

A lot of green gone.

Photo copyright Aji, 2019; all rights reserved.

A lot of green gone; a lot more will go over the next couple of days, if the forecast rain appears in the volume they say it will.

A lot of the other kind of green gone, too, with no sales to make up for it. It's been a bad weekend already for all sorts of reasons, not the least of which is the extreme physical pain we're both coping with right now (yes, the traditional medicine is still helping me, but there are some things it can't touch). Chinook got out and onto the road again early this morning, and the adrenaline rush of fear that accompanies that also jacks pain levels substantially. She's on the tie-out now, and knows she's deep in the doghouse, so to speak. I despair of this dog, or at least of getting control over her nose.

Yesterday was completely unmanageable for me in terms of physical pain; today, it's Wings who's having the greater problem in that regard. There is so much we have to get done now, too, and so little time in which to do it, and I have to get back to some of the things I started early this morning, so the rest is mostly cut-and-paste. And we have got to make some steady sales soon. We do need to pick up stones and other supplies before we really get into the holiday creative season for Wings, which means soon. And I'm still watching the expenses continue to pile up, and there's nothing coming in to pay for them, and I'm losing my mind trying to juggle it all.

As always, I'll be bumping Ona's post up after this. He's at $13,500 right this moment (I see you, and thank you), and I'd like to see him hit $15K before the end of the weekend (which is, you know, today). I'd like to see it up to $20K for him by the end of this week. We need y'all to keep sharing while the family tries to get transport issues sorted out and keep his recovery going simultaneously.

The rest is all cut-and-paste. I have my own stubborn insistence on survival, no matter how far behind I get, but I'm way behind now and have to get on it. 

For those wondering about my own health issues, see here; with regard to the work being done, some of the details are here. We still have to get the plumber in to finish up, and I regard that as a bigger priority right now in practical terms, so whatever we take in sales-wise will have to go to that. This is all complicated by the fact that, for August, a record number/amount of my Patreon patrons' cards were declined, too, more than $250 worth, so that income is a lot lower than usual and I now have to worry about whether that will be the case for September, too (no, I don't know who and haven't checked; I'm not going to contact anyone who probably is already scrambling to juggle their own stuff, too).

Anyway. Back to the grind; so I need help to get all this done. Folks can help in several ways, and we really need the help now:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Wishlist here;
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here. 

On the wishlist, now the cold is here at night, the flies are getting chased out by the cold, so the top priority is probably the candles, to deal with the residual mildew odor in the utility room, which I hope the plumber will be here to finish next week (the utility room work, not the mildew, and yeah, I know i said that last week, but there's no money for it). But the costs on all of this are killing us right now.

And as I said, sales are ideal, of course; one or two of Wings's bigger pieces would cover the whole shot for this round of work. Patreon subscriptions are good, too. Either way, it's a trade for value. But I'm already feeling panicked at what we thought would be our schedule being so suddenly and thoroughly upended, and we'll take it however it comes at this point. 

Please share everything, because I'm suddenly back behind the eight-ball on a whole additional front, and yeah, I'm scared about covering everything and surviving, too. Thanks.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2019; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

The Beauty In Bare Ground

Photo copyright Aji, 2019; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a work especially close to my own heart, one that embodies the feminine aspect of our Mother Earth. It's one well suited to this season and place, too, with its earth tones full of shimmering metals precious beyond the price of financial markets, a reminder to us to see and honor the beauty in bare ground.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are very much needed (especially now, with repairs forcibly moved up and more medical expenses still in the offing), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.


All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2019; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Sometimes you get a surprise.

Photo copyright Aji, 2019; all rights reserved.

Sometimes you get a surprise.

Among all the other things we had to do yesterday was a quick down-and-back trip to Santa Fe. We had some business to take care of that had to be done in person, things to sign, and neither of us was feeling very well, but we had already had to delay it far too long. That took a about an hour and a half, and I hadn't had a chance to eat all day, so we went to the place we usually go for lunch: Jambo, which is owned and run by a chef from Kenya's Lamu Island. I've posted about them before; we've gone there since they first opened, because their African and Afro-Caribbean food is outstanding, with modest prices, and the owner returns a percentage of his profits to his island, where his foundation has already built a school and and a maternal-and-child hospital that were badly needed. Two or three years ago, they opened an import shop two doors down from the restaurant, and it's where Wings goes to get authentic African beads that he sometimes incorporates into his work.

Our original plan for our next trip to Santa Fe had also involved going to our usual supplier; he's badly in need of certain stones, especially the larger turquoise focal cabs. We almost always make a trip for that purpose alone this time of year, because those are the supplies he uses to build his holiday inventory (and fulfill commissions). But money is just too tight. We talked about it over lunch, and decided that, entirely aside from the amount of pain we were both in yesterday (aggravated immensely today because of the trip), we just couldn't afford it. We could, however, potentially afford a few strands of the beads that Jambo Imports sells, and it was a chance to see Ali, who runs the shop and has become a friend. So we walked over, and sure enough, he was there.

Together, we selected several strands of beads (you'll be seeing some of them in the months to come, ranging from more ordinary trade beads to varnished bone and painted shell beads, one strand each of mahogany and ebony, and some gorgeous shellacked paper beads that look like glossy stone or glass, hand-made by women on Lamu Island to recycle newspapers and magazines and other colored paper items). I was looking rather wistfully, probably, at one of the racks of textiles — scarves and shawls and fabric to use in decorating — and ventured into the back room where they keep a large supply stacked up, including some amazing hand-colored indigo cloth. Not to buy, of course; just to look and dream. When I was done, I turned around to come back into the main room of the shop, and Ali was standing a few yards away, unfolding a piece of bright red fabric, fringed on the ends: the scarf up there in the photo, hand-painted in shimmering ivory and gold and brown and black, giraffes and trees and wild birds in silhouette. He said, "You like this?" I said that it was beautiful, but how much? "All the money you have," he replied with a grin, and I said, "Then we're both out of luck, because that's a couple of quarters rolling around the bottom of my purse." And he said, "No, this is yours." He said he had been keeping it back for a very, very long time, and he felt that it was supposed to be mine.

I hugged him and nearly cried right then and there. I held it out as I returned to the main room, and Wings asked me if I was wanting to buy it, and I said, "it's already mine; Ali gave it to me." I put it on immediately, winding around my throat, and Wings's whole face lit up; he complimented me on it all the way home. Something about the color with my coloring — it's a perfect clear red, no orange or purple in it. And it smells of sandalwood. I couldn't wipe the grin off my face for the rest of the day. He gave Wings a beaded leather bracelet, too, the kind of beadwork that's tough to do because of the thickness of the leather, all made by hand. Next time we go down, we'll go with some return gifts for him and his beautiful wife and baby girl.

So despite the hectic and stressful nature of yesterday, and all the physical discomfort involved, it turned into a beautiful day with a friend. Even so, we have got to make some steady sales soon. We do need to pick up stones and other supplies before we really get into the holiday creative season for Wings, which means soon. And I'm still watching the expenses continue to pile up, and there's nothing coming in to pay for them, and I'm losing my mind trying to juggle it all.

As always, I'll be bumping Ona's post up after this. He's a over $13K right this moment (I see you, and thank you), and I'd like to see him hit $15K before the end of the week (which is, you know, today). We need y'all to keep sharing while the family tries to get transport issues sorted out and keep his recovery going simultaneously.

The rest is all cut-and-paste. I have my own stubborn insistence on survival, no matter how far behind I get, but I'm way behind now and have to get on it. 

For those wondering about my own health issues, see here; with regard to the work being done, some of the details are here. We still have to get the plumber in to finish up, and I regard that as a bigger priority right now in practical terms, so whatever we take in sales-wise will have to go to that. This is all complicated by the fact that, for August, a record number/amount of my Patreon patrons' cards were declined, too, more than $250 worth, so that income is a lot lower than usual and I now have to worry about whether that will be the case for September, too (no, I don't know who and haven't checked; I'm not going to contact anyone who probably is already scrambling to juggle their own stuff, too).

Anyway. Back to the grind; so I need help to get all this done. Folks can help in several ways, and we really need the help now:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Wishlist here;
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here. 

On the wishlist, now the cold is here at night, the flies are getting chased out by the cold, so the top priority is probably the candles, to deal with the residual mildew odor in the utility room, which I hope the plumber will be here to finish next week (the utility room work, not the mildew, and yeah, I know i said that last week, but there's no money for it). But the costs on all of this are killing us right now.

And as I said, sales are ideal, of course; one or two of Wings's bigger pieces would cover the whole shot for this round of work. Patreon subscriptions are good, too. Either way, it's a trade for value. But I'm already feeling panicked at what we thought would be our schedule being so suddenly and thoroughly upended, and we'll take it however it comes at this point. 

Please share everything, because I'm suddenly back behind the eight-ball on a whole additional front, and yeah, I'm scared about covering everything and surviving, too. Thanks.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2019; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

The Language of the Earth

Photo copyright Aji, 2019; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's one of my favorites of its kind in Wings's current inventory, his unique and exclusive design honoring one of the local spirits of prosperity and abundance. This one is wrought in the shades of fall, reminding us that a lack of technological or personal convenience is not a lack of abundance, and that by learning the language of the Earth and putting it to proper use do we adapt.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are very much needed (especially now, with repairs forcibly moved up and more medical expenses still in the offing), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.


All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2019; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

A Time of Long Shadows

Photo copyright Aji, 2019; all rights reserved.

It's a time of long shadows, both seasonally and in very personal terms. We've had a lot going on these last three years, building the house to get out of the toxic tin can, my multiple hospitalizations and brushes with death, a cancer diagnosis inflicted and then retracted and then declared unresolved, a wholly new DX that no one's able to confirm, but that fits far too well in too many ways. And running through it all, the endless stream of medical bills, and the endless costs to try to fix — forget finish for now, just fix — the issues with the house. Shadows cast two years ago are still affecting us in material and terrifying ways today.

One bit of good news is that my labs are already back, and they are clear. Given the past couple of weeks, I thought they would be, but for the weeks prior to that, we had reason to be genuinely afraid they would show something awful. It's nice to know that the change to traditional medicine has resolved those symptoms, at least.  

Like yesterday, I'm on the run again today, so you probably won't see much of me until evening again. Too much to do, and too few hours in which to get it done. And still, we have got to make some steady sales soon. I'm watching the expenses continue to pile up, and there's nothing coming in to pay for them, and I'm losing my mind trying to juggle it all.

As always, I'll be bumping Ona's post up after this. He's a little over $13K right this moment (I see you, and thank you), and I'd like to see him hit $15K before the end of the week (which is, you know, tomorrow — or today, if you're talking about the business/work week). We need y'all to keep sharing while the family tries to get transport issues sorted out and keep his recovery going simultaneously.

The rest is all cut-and-paste. I have my own stubborn insistence on survival, no matter how far behind I get, but I'm way behind now and have to get on it. 

For those wondering about my own health issues, see here; with regard to the work being done, some of the details are here. We still have to get the plumber in to finish up, and I regard that as a bigger priority right now in practical terms, so whatever we take in sales-wise will have to go to that. This is all complicated by the fact that, for August, a record number/amount of my Patreon patrons' cards were declined, too, more than $250 worth, so that income is a lot lower than usual and I now have to worry about whether that will be the case for September, too (no, I don't know who and haven't checked; I'm not going to contact anyone who probably is already scrambling to juggle their own stuff, too).

Anyway. Back to the grind; so I need help to get all this done. Folks can help in several ways, and we really need the help now:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Wishlist here;
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here. 

On the wishlist, now the cold is here at night, the flies are getting chased out by the cold, so the top priority is probably the candles, to deal with the residual mildew odor in the utility room, which I hope the plumber will be here to finish next week (the utility room work, not the mildew, and yeah, I know i said that last week, but there's no money for it). But the costs on all of this are killing us right now.

And as I said, sales are ideal, of course; one or two of Wings's bigger pieces would cover the whole shot for this round of work. Patreon subscriptions are good, too. Either way, it's a trade for value. But I'm already feeling panicked at what we thought would be our schedule being so suddenly and thoroughly upended, and we'll take it however it comes at this point. 

Please share everything, because I'm suddenly back behind the eight-ball on a whole additional front, and yeah, I'm scared about covering everything and surviving, too. Thanks.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2019; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Friday Feature: Earth, Revealed

Photo copyright Aji, 2019; all rights reserved.

It's our Friday Feature at The NDN Silver Blog, with a small spirit summoned into being in vintage fashion to set an example for us now. It's Beaver, known for his earthworks and construction skills, in a time when fall shows us an earth, revealed, vulnerable and yet utterly strong.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are very much needed (especially now, with repairs forcibly moved up and more medical expenses still in the offing), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.


All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2019; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

The feeling of an omen.

Photo copyright Aji, 2019; all rights reserved.

He was up there squawking yesterday afternoon, before moving to a post in the pends and squawking some more. He was at it up in the same aspen again this morning when I went out to feed the dogs. It has the feeling of an omen — a warning, a foreshadowing. Given how the rest of the year has gone, that's not especially encouraging. Coupled with my current lack of sleep, due in part to a 4-hour power outage in the middle of the night (the utility's fault, not ours), and . . . well, I've felt better about things than I do today.

I'm on the run today, and again tomorrow, so unless I get to the point where I can't do anything but sit for a while, you probably won't see much of me until evening either day. Too much to do, and too few hours in which to get it done. And still, we have got to make some steady sales soon. I'm watching the expenses continue to pile up, and there's nothing coming in to pay for them, and I'm losing my mind trying to juggle it all.

Again, I'll be bumping Ona's post up after this, because donations have mostly tanked over the weekend. He's at exactly $12K right this moment (I see you, and thank you), and I'd like to see him hit $15K before the end of the week. We need y'all to keep sharing while the family tries to get transport issues sorted out and keep his recovery going simultaneously.

The rest is all cut-and-paste. I have my own stubborn insistence on survival, no matter how far behind I get, but I'm way behind now and have to get on it. 

For those wondering about my own health issues, see here; with regard to the work being done, some of the details are here. We still have to get the plumber in to finish up, and I regard that as a bigger priority right now in practical terms, so whatever we take in sales-wise will have to go to that. This is all complicated by the fact that, for August, a record number/amount of my Patreon patrons' cards were declined, too, more than $250 worth, so that income is a lot lower than usual and I now have to worry about whether that will be the case for September, too (no, I don't know who and haven't checked; I'm not going to contact anyone who probably is already scrambling to juggle their own stuff, too).

Anyway. Back to the grind; so I need help to get all this done. Folks can help in several ways, and we really need the help now:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Wishlist here;
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here. 

On the wishlist, now the cold is here at night, the flies are getting chased out by the cold, so the top priority is probably the candles, to deal with the residual mildew odor in the utility room, which I hope the plumber will be here to finish next week (the utility room work, not the mildew, and yeah, I know i said that last week, but there's no money for it). But the costs on all of this are killing us right now.

And as I said, sales are ideal, of course; one or two of Wings's bigger pieces would cover the whole shot for this round of work. Patreon subscriptions are good, too. Either way, it's a trade for value. But I'm already feeling panicked at what we thought would be our schedule being so suddenly and thoroughly upended, and we'll take it however it comes at this point. 

Please share everything, because I'm suddenly back behind the eight-ball on a whole additional front, and yeah, I'm scared about covering everything and surviving, too. Thanks.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2019; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

#TBT: A Space For Growth

Photo copyright Wings, 2019; all rights reserved.

It's #ThrowbackThursday at The NDN Silver Blog, with an entry in Wings's most closely-held signature series, this one created some seven to nine years ago. It's a Warrior Woman in the shapes and shades of this threshold season, a reminder that life is not confined to the warm months, and that the cold season presents us with a space for growth.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. This work sold nearly a decade ago, and obviously 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. And, as always, sales are very much needed (especially now, with repairs forcibly moved up and more medical expenses still in the offing), so shares of the site links are much appreciated. 


All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2019; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Mare's tails and mare's nests.

Photo copyright Aji, 2019; all rights reserved.

Mare's tails and mare's nests. The former? Well, it's that season here, typically, although we've had a lot more clouds than usual lately. The latter? Everything, apparently.

I'm still debating on whether to keep my next appointment or not. Yes, because of the money. Wings has one tomorrow, and we did manage to his scrips yesterday, even if they couldn't be bothered with mine. But expenses keep mounting. We can't maintain this pace, and I don't know how we're going to get the guys back to finish the work; we can't afford it. Wings and I will to do as much of it as we can ourselves, however hard it is on our bodies, because winter is coming fast and hard this year and we have no choice but to beat it. Wings dropped his latest two nights ago — layered vintage-style dangle earrings, and they are fabulous; you can see them here. Please share them (and all the other links), because we really, really, desperately need to make some sales now. 

Again, I'll be bumping Ona's post up after this, because donations have mostly tanked over the weekend. Ideally, I'd like to see him pass $15K before the week is out. We need y'all to keep sharing while the family tries to get transport issues sorted out and keep his recovery going simultaneously.

The rest is all cut-and-paste. I have my own stubborn insistence on survival, no matter how far behind I get, but I'm way behind now and have to get on it. 

For those wondering about my own health issues, see here; with regard to the work being done, some of the details are here. We still have to get the plumber in to finish up, and I regard that as a bigger priority right now in practical terms, so whatever we take in sales-wise will have to go to that. This is all complicated by the fact that, for August, a record number/amount of my Patreon patrons' cards were declined, too, more than $250 worth, so that income is a lot lower than usual and I now have to worry about whether that will be the case for September, too (no, I don't know who and haven't checked; I'm not going to contact anyone who probably is already scrambling to juggle their own stuff, too).

Anyway. Back to the grind; so I need help to get all this done. Folks can help in several ways, and we really need the help now:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Wishlist here;
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here. 

On the wishlist, now the cold is here at night, the flies are getting chased out by the cold, so the top priority is probably the candles, to deal with the residual mildew odor in the utility room, which I hope the plumber will be here to finish next week (the utility room work, not the mildew, and yeah, I know i said that last week, but there's no money for it). But the costs on all of this are killing us right now.

And as I said, sales are ideal, of course; one or two of Wings's bigger pieces would cover the whole shot for this round of work. Patreon subscriptions are good, too. Either way, it's a trade for value. But I'm already feeling panicked at what we thought would be our schedule being so suddenly and thoroughly upended, and we'll take it however it comes at this point. 

Please share everything, because I'm suddenly back behind the eight-ball on a whole additional front, and yeah, I'm scared about covering everything and surviving, too. Thanks.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2019; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Before the First Snow Falls

Photo copyright Aji, 2019; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's Wings's newest work, completed only three days ago. It's a pair of earrings perfectly suited to this season, too, one of remnant green and an earth revealed before the first snow falls.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are very much needed (especially now, with repairs forcibly moved up and more medical expenses still in the offing), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.


All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2019; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

A lot less green, of any sort

Photo copyright Aji, 2019; all rights reserved.

That was yesterday, the first that that cottonwood had started to turn. There's a lot more gold there (and everywhere) today. Also a lot less green, of any sort.

Everything's late because it's been a freaking day already, and it's nowhere near done yet. Got the labs out of the way, and probably will have the results back well before my next scheduled appointment (if I can afford to keep it) on Oct. 2nd. I'm not terribly concerned about the results, because the troublesome symptoms seem to have begun resolving themselves with the change to traditional medicine, but let's hope I don't wind up being in for a big surprise on that front. No scrips today, and I'm well past irritated into throttle mode, because they were supposed to be ready after 11 AM, except they didn't even have my pain meds in the freaking pharmacy when I went there at noon after my labs. So another delay, and another trip into town unnecessarily, because they can't get their shit together when it's pain meds involved.

Meanwhile, expenses keep mounting. I don't know how we're going to get the guys back to finish the work; we can't afford it.  We haven't had a sale in weeks. Wings and I will to do as much of it as we can ourselves, however hard it is on our bodies, because winter is coming fast and hard this year and we have no choice but to beat it. Wings dropped his latest two nights ago — layered vintage-style dangle earrings, and they are fabulous; you can see them here. Please share them (and all the other links), because we really, really, desperately need to make some sales now. 

Again, I'll be bumping Ona's post up after this, because donations have mostly tanked over the weekend. Thank you to the dear soul who got him finally over the $10K mark yesterday (yes, I see you). Ideally, I'd like to see him pass $15K before the week is out. We need y'all to keep sharing while the family tries to get transport issues sorted out and keep his recovery going simultaneously.

The rest is all cut-and-paste. I have my own stubborn insistence on survival, no matter how far behind I get, but I'm way behind now and have to get on it. I have labs this week, and at this point, I really need the result to be good.

For those wondering about my own health issues, see here; with regard to the work being done, some of the details are here. We still have to get the plumber in to finish up, and I regard that as a bigger priority right now in practical terms, so whatever we take in sales-wise will have to go to that. This is all complicated by the fact that, for August, a record number/amount of my Patreon patrons' cards were declined, too, more than $250 worth, so that income is a lot lower than usual and I now have to worry about whether that will be the case for September, too (no, I don't know who and haven't checked; I'm not going to contact anyone who probably is already scrambling to juggle their own stuff, too).

Anyway. Back to the grind; so I need help to get all this done. Folks can help in several ways, and we really need the help now:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Wishlist here;
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here. 

On the wishlist, now the cold is here at night, the flies are getting chased out by the cold, so the top priority is probably the candles, to deal with the residual mildew odor in the utility room, which I hope the plumber will be here to finish next week (the utility room work, not the mildew, and yeah, I know i said that last week, but there's no money for it). But the costs on all of this are killing us right now.

And as I said, sales are ideal, of course; one or two of Wings's bigger pieces would cover the whole shot for this round of work. Patreon subscriptions are good, too. Either way, it's a trade for value. But I'm already feeling panicked at what we thought would be our schedule being so suddenly and thoroughly upended, and we'll take it however it comes at this point. 

Please share everything, because I'm suddenly back behind the eight-ball on a whole additional front, and yeah, I'm scared about covering everything and surviving, too. Thanks.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2019; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Red Willow Spirit: The Spaces of Sun and Storm and Season

Photo copyright Wings, 2019; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's an edition of Red Willow Spirit for this first official week of fall, one when our own weather flirts openly with winter. It's a contemplation, too, of the pace of change here, of the spaces of sun and storm and season that, like our fiery foliage now, sometimes last but a moment.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. As always, his photos are available in any of the usual three formats; to order them or the silverwork shown, simply inquire via the site's Contact form. Also as always, sales are very much needed (especially now, with repairs forcibly moved up and more medical expenses still in the offing), so shares of the site links are much appreciated. 


All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2019; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.