Scarier than any Hallowe'en monster.

Photo copyright Aji, 2023; all rights reserved.

Beautiful amber aspen leaf, backlit by the sun . . . and surrounded by something scarier than any Hallowe'en monster of any sort. Those fuzzy strands? That's that invasive bindweed, going to seed, meaning pollen. It's no wonder we both feel like hell all the time.

We've never had this here before. Literally. We've always had at least one genuinely hard freeze [meaning single digits] before now, even in drought years when it's still too warm for the season. This is yet one more nail in the coffin  caused by climate collapse. And we're on a warming trend for the next week-plus, so this crap's not going anywhere anytime soon.

Meanwhile, we're out of month. No sales, but lots of expenses coming due tomorrow, and my Patreon, such as it is, won't clear the bank before Thursday or Friday at the earliest. Between that and the progression of my disease, I'm so far behind now that I can't do anything, and I am at my wits' end. I have to come up with a couple hundred for Wings's scrips tomorrow, and a good four figures the rest of this week and next for autopays, septic service, and a few other one-offs, and I have no way to do it. This is scarier than any monster, too.

Nothing I do is working when it comes to sales. I need to bring in at least $1,500 worth [more than that; I haven't even had a chance to tally it all up] to cover things I know are coming down the pike in the next week+, and I'm getting nowhere. I have Wings's two latest pairs of earrings up, here and here; there will be another new pair in the same informal series tomorrow [sodalite]. Selling those would be a start, but even that would be only a start. I've got to do better, but how? I feel like I'm losing my mind, and the unbearable physical pain just adds to that.

It's been a terrible year on virtually every front, and now, nearing the end, I'm afraid we actually might not make it.

We have to make up a LOT of ground financially over the next two+ months. A LOT. This year has been so slow that we're way behind on everything, including prepaying next year's taxes [that's a zero; a big fat zero]. I need to bring in at least one sale a week, preferably two, for the remainder of the year. And it's clear that my illness's progression means that I cannot maintain the pace or workload I have in years past. That means that we need help with shares, and with testimonials, too. If you have some of Wings's work and are willing to have a testimonial published on the site, send it to me via the Contact form (we will list you however you wish, by name, name and initial, initials only, some other way that doesn't identify you; you can see an example in our newest, here, and with luck, I'll have a second one up by tonight). All the links are listed below, so please share:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (liquid soaps are priority now [or Amazon cards, and I can order them myself]); 
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

There's lots of fabulous work on the site, and there will be much, much more in the weeks to come. The way this year has gone, things will still be grim for a good while and the holidays will be here before you know it, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2023; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                     

Red Willow Spirit: Spirit, Light, Medicine, Power

Photo copyright Wings, 2023; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's an edition of Red Willow Spirit for the beginning of the season when spirits walk, and edition for what protects us and for what protections we owe to the world. It's two haunting black-and-white images linked by a single work of wearable art, all of them illustrative of the spirit, light, medicine, power that gives us life and sustains it.

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. With fewer than three months left in this fourth year of pandemic and loss, and facing enormous expenses in the middle of our worst sales year in a very long time, the need for consistent sales is urgent at this point, so shares are very much needed and much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2023; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner. 

It's bleak.

Photo copyright Aji, 2023; all rights reserved.

Beautiful clouds and fog this morning, following the absolutely thinnest possible dusting of snow shortly after midnight.

All gone now on both fronts.

Nothing in the forecast through mid-November, either. It's bleak.

That's not all that's bleak. The dislocation of my dominant wrist and hand has worsened drastically; I was up until 6 AM with the pain. I've had to force myself to develop a fairly high tolerance for pain, given that this country doesn't actually treat it, but the early hours of this morning had me doing that thing I never do: sobbing out loud for more than an hour straight, the pain was so terrible. This happens with increasing frequency now, in joints al over my body, and I'm not sure how much longer I can do this without something that at least just knocks me out for a while.

Meanwhile, I'm typing with my left hand. My right arm is in a sling finally; I couldn't do it before because the pain was so excruciating to the slightest touch of fabric that it set off waves of agony. I still can't wear the brace. My wrist and arm are distorted into something like a claw. No, I can't just go to the ER to have it reset; I can't afford it, I'm not willing to catch COVID because no one there masks, and all that will happen is that it will slip out of place again, so it's pointless. But I'm so far behind now; I can't do anything, and I am at my wits' end. I have to come up with a couple hundred for Wings's scrips tomorrow, and a good four figures the rest of this week and next for autopays, septic service, and a few other one-offs, and I have no way to do it.

Nothing I do is working when it comes to sales. I need to bring in at least $1,500 worth [more than that; I haven't even had a chance to tally it all up] to cover things I know are coming down the pike in the next week+, and I'm getting nowhere. I have Wings's two latest pairs of earrings up, here and here; selling those would be a start. If all goes well, I'll have a second pair, with stones and somewhat more costly, up later today. But even that would be only a start. I've got to do better, but how?

It's been a terrible year on virtually every front, and now, nearing the end, I'm afraid we actually might not make it.

We have to make up a LOT of ground financially over the next two+ months. A LOT. This year has been so slow that we're way behind on everything, including prepaying next year's taxes [that's a zero; a big fat zero]. I need to bring in at least one sale a week, preferably two, for the remainder of the year. And it's clear that my illness's progression means that I cannot maintain the pace or workload I have in years past. That means that we need help with shares, and with testimonials, too. If you have some of Wings's work and are willing to have a testimonial published on the site, send it to me via the Contact form (we will list you however you wish, by name, name and initial, initials only, some other way that doesn't identify you; you can see an example in our newest, here, and with luck, I'll have a second one up by tonight). All the links are listed below, so please share:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (liquid soaps are priority now [or Amazon cards, and I can order them myself]); 
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

There's lots of fabulous work on the site, and there will be much, much more in the weeks to come. The way this year has gone, things will still be grim for a good while and the holidays will be here before you know it, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2023; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                     

Monday Photo Meditation: Sherds of Memory, and of Spirit

Photo copyright Wings, 2023; all rights reserved,

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a Monday Photo Meditation for days of lengthening dark, deepening cold, and a permeable world in which the spirits walk. It's a contemplation of past, present, and future, of our obligations to them all, and of the presence of sherds of memory, and of spirit, to remind us now.

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. With fewer than three months left in this fourth year of pandemic and loss, and facing enormous expenses in the middle of our worst sales year in a very long time, the need for consistent sales is urgent at this point, so shares are very much needed and much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2023; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.  

I have a new favorite pair of earrings: Wings's newest, available now.

Photo copyright Aji 2023; all rights reserved.

I promised these earlier today. I have a new favorite pair of earrings:  Wings's newest, available now.

These are absolutely ethereal; as he put it, they seem to drift beneath your ears.  They're called Little Winter Moons, a reference to what some of my own people call this period when winter is not officially here, but it's here all the same:  the Little Winter, the time of the Small Snow. Our moons now are otherworldly, and these do them justice.  You can read their full description here.

As always, Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. With fewer than three months left in this fourth year of pandemic and loss, and facing enormous expenses in the middle of our worst sales year in a very long time, the need for consistent sales is urgent at this point, so shares are very much needed and much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2023; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.    

No luck yet.

Photo copyright Aji, 2023; all rights reserved.

Looks like November out there. Now, if only we could get the snow.

No luck yet.

The forecast might turn out to be nothing, at the rate things are going. It's cold, it's gray, the clouds are coming down over the peaks, and . . . nothing. 

Everything is deadly dry here. In addition to someone setting the out-of-state millionaire colonizer Starbucks-under-construction on fire for the second time this last week [and no, I don't actually care; we don't need another one here], we've also had two different families on opposite ends of the county lose their homes to fires [now, them I do care about]. Things are terrible here. And everywhere.

For us, too. Nothing I do is working when it comes to sales. I need to bring in at least $1,500 worth to cover things I know are coming down the pike in the next week+, and I'm getting nowhere. I have Wings's latest pair of earrings up, here, and they're more moderately priced than a lot of his work; selling those would be a start. If all goes well, I'll have a second pair, with stones and somewhat more costly, up later today. But even that would be only a start. I've got to do better, but how?

It's been a terrible year on virtually every front, and now, nearing the end, I'm afraid we actually might not make it.

We have to make up a LOT of ground financially over the next two+ months. A LOT. This year has been so slow that we're way behind on everything, including prepaying next year's taxes [that's a zero; a big fat zero]. I need to bring in at least one sale a week, preferably two, for the remainder of the year. And it's clear that my illness's progression means that I cannot maintain the pace or workload I have in years past. That means that we need help with shares, and with testimonials, too. If you have some of Wings's work and are willing to have a testimonial published on the site, send it to me via the Contact form (we will list you however you wish, by name, name and initial, initials only, some other way that doesn't identify you; you can see an example in our newest, here, and with luck, I'll have a second one up by tonight). All the links are listed below, so please share:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (liquid soaps are priority now [or Amazon cards, and I can order them myself]); 
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

There's lots of fabulous work on the site, and there will be much, much more in the weeks to come. The way this year has gone, things will still be grim for a good while and the holidays will be here before you know it, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2023; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                     

The Fire of the Spirits In the Light of Cold Fall Days

Photo copyright Aji Wings, 2023; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a work for deepening chill and encroaching dark the ring around the sun that heralds a change in the weather. It's a classic traditional ring wrought in the old way, heavy band and equally heavy stampwork manifest as the fire of the spirits in the light of cold fall days.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. With fewer than three months left in this fourth year of pandemic and loss, and facing enormous expenses in the middle of our worst sales year in a very long time, the need for consistent sales is urgent at this point, so shares are very much needed and much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2023; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.   

Best-case scenarios.

Photo copyright Aji, 2023; all rights reserved.

Something on the way . . . allegedly, anyway. It feels like it, but as always, we'll wait and see. Best-case scenario is snow, but more likely a mix, and always possible that we get nothing at all.

We need some best-case scenarios actually to occur right now.

After having to venture out into the world and stand in line for an extended period yesterday, I'm hobbling now. Joints are swollen, too, which is actually a better predictor of coming weather than any meteorologist, But it also means that certain fingers don't bend/unbend properly, and of course that impairs my use of my hands further.

And nothing I do works when it comes to sales. I need to bring in at least $1,500 worth to cover things I know are coming down the pike in the next week+, and I'm getting nowhere. I have Wings's latest pair of earrings up, here, and they're more moderately priced than a lot of his work; selling those would be a start. But only a start. I've got to do better, but how?

It's been a terrible year on virtually every front, and now, nearing the end, I'm afraid we actually might not make it.

We have to make up a LOT of ground financially over the next two+ months. A LOT. This year has been so slow that we're way behind on everything, including prepaying next year's taxes [that's a zero; a big fat zero]. I need to bring in at least one sale a week, preferably two, for the remainder of the year. And it's clear that my illness's progression means that I cannot maintain the pace or workload I have in years past. That means that we need help with shares, and with testimonials, too. If you have some of Wings's work and are willing to have a testimonial published on the site, send it to me via the Contact form (we will list you however you wish, by name, name and initial, initials only, some other way that doesn't identify you; you can see an example in our newest, here, and with luck, I'll have a second one up by tonight). All the links are listed below, so please share:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (liquid soaps are priority now [or Amazon cards, and I can order them myself]); 
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

There's lots of fabulous work on the site, and there will be much, much more in the weeks to come. The way this year has gone, things will still be grim for a good while and the holidays will be here before you know it, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2023; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                     

The Light That Heralds the Gathering Storm

Photo copyright Aji, 2023; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's one of Wings's newest works, an old-style traditional ring completed earlier this week whose extraordinary focal embodies the storm at the edge of the sky. This very old and timeless stone is set atop a heavy-gauge band wrought in a beautifully matched pattern of freehand stampwork, one that signifies the light that heralds the gathering storm, like that in our skies outside the window now.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. With fewer than three months left in this fourth year of pandemic and loss, and facing enormous expenses in the middle of our worst sales year in a very long time, the need for consistent sales is urgent at this point, so shares are very much needed and much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2023; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.   

I promised another pair of earrings by Wings for today, and here they are!

Photo copyright Aji, 2023; all rights reserved.

I promised another pair of earrings by Wings for today, and here they are: an old traditional design, wrought vintage-style, and the first of several pairs planned in similar forms and shapes.

This pair is called Within Spirit's Light, and they are a variation on an old style that he used to create nearly twenty years ago. He has plans, at the moment, for four more pairs, each slightly different, and each of those set at the center with stones [and so somewhat more expensive]. But this is the first pair, and they hold a mesmerizing kind of power, as befits their name and identity. All saw-cut, scored, and stamped freehand of solid sterling silver. You can read their full description here.

As always, Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. With fewer than three months left in this fourth year of pandemic and loss, and facing enormous expenses in the middle of our worst sales year in a very long time, we need more than ever to make consistent sales now (I really, REALLY need to make some now, actually), so shares are very much needed and much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2023; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.    

No help for any of it.

Photo copyright Aji, 2023; all rights reserved.

The hay has been delivered.

So now that we've robbed Peter to pay Paul, by which I mean the funds that would have covered Wednesday's auto-pays that fall on the first of the month [Internet, storage, CC processor monthly fees, etc., etc.], I have to make it up somewhere else.

Because this year is nothing if not continually awful.

I'm exhausted, this new flare has not ended, and my pain levels are jacked. Meanwhile, there was new bullshit around refilling my pain meds this morning, my knee dislocated further while I was waiting in line, and then my whole hip and leg went out when we got home. I'm in agonizing pain every minute of every day, and they want to deny me even two fricking pills because the Dems climbed onto this bullshit "opioid crisis!" bandwagon. 

I hate everything right now.

And nothing eases off. I still have to come up with ways to cover everything, and the pain is so bad right now I can't even think. And there's no help for any of it.

It's been a terrible year on virtually every front, and I'm afraid we not might make it.

We have to make up a LOT of ground financially over the next two+ months. A LOT. This year has been so slow that we're way behind on everything, including prepaying next year's taxes [that's a zero; a big fat zero]. I need to bring in at least one sale a week, preferably two, for the remainder of the year. And it's clear that my illness's progression means that I cannot maintain the pace or workload I have in years past. That means that we need help with shares, and with testimonials, too. If you have some of Wings's work and are willing to have a testimonial published on the site, send it to me via the Contact form (we will list you however you wish, by name, name and initial, initials only, some other way that doesn't identify you; you can see an example in our newest, here, and with luck, I'll have a second one up by tonight). All the links are listed below, so please share:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (liquid soaps are priority now [or Amazon cards, and I can order them myself]); 
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

There's lots of fabulous work on the site, I will have a new pair of earrings posted later today, and there will be much, much more in the weeks to come. The way this year has gone, things will still be grim for a good while and the holidays will be here before you know it, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2023; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                     

Friday Feature: Autumn Clouds and Winds and Light

Photo copyright Aji, 2023; all rights reserved.

It's our Friday Feature at The NDN Silver Blog, with an absolute masterwork wrought in the old traditional way, as timeless as the illuminating skies above us. It's a butterfly concha belt of extraordinary design and execution, one that embodies the gifts of this day, of autumn clouds and winds and light.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. With fewer than three months left in this fourth year of pandemic and loss, and facing enormous expenses in the middle of our worst sales year in a very long time,  the need for consistent sales is urgent at this point, so shares are very much needed and much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2023; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.       

Acute things.

Photo copyright Aji, 2023; all rights reserved.

The three dogsketeers, out on patrol. They spent most of the night [well, early morning hours] out, as well; it's the end of October, and there are plenty of creatures roaming now: skunks, coyotes, probably the odd bobcat or bear. Those they know better than to bark at when their present are fair game when it comes to tracking whatever they leave behind, obviously.

And, of course, at this time of year, there are less visible things abroad, too, and the dogs sense them far more acutely than we do.

Speaking of acute things, I had another episode last night, out of nowhere; severe chest pain and headache, other issues that no one who hasn't been through it would understand. It's the first I've had in months, only the third or so this year, I think. Which is, of course, a far better track record than in recent years, but it's still terrifying as hell. Also terrifying to try to go to sleep when you don't actually know whether you'll wake up again.

It's just a flare, but the flares are going to get more acute, and also more frequent. This is a progressive disease, and I'm reasonably sure, based on recent symptoms, that it's decided to involve additional organs now. The hell of it, tests would confirm it, but there's not really anything that can be done that I'm not already doing, so there's really no point in putting us through all the expense, and myself through all the physical and mental stress, just to be told, yeah, you're right; good luck. So I'm not doing that. We can't afford it anyway, and right now, I can't even make enough sales to make sure we can get the hay delivered tomorrow, never mind get us through the end of this month and the first day of November, when everything hits.

It's been a terrible year on virtually every front, and I'm afraid we not might make it.

We have to make up a LOT of ground financially over the next two+ months. A LOT. This year has been so slow that we're way behind on everything, including prepaying next year's taxes [that's a zero; a big fat zero]. I need to bring in at least one sale a week, preferably two, for the remainder of the year. And it's clear that my illness's progression means that I cannot maintain the pace or workload I have in years past. That means that we need help with shares, and with testimonials, too. If you have some of Wings's work and are willing to have a testimonial published on the site, send it to me via the Contact form (we will list you however you wish, by name, name and initial, initials only, some other way that doesn't identify you; you can see an example in our newest, here, and with luck, I'll have a second one up by tonight). All the links are listed below, so please share:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (liquid soaps are priority now [or Amazon cards, and I can order them myself]); 
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

There's lots of fabulous work on the site, and there will be much, much more in the weeks to come. The way this year has gone, things will still be grim for a good while and the holidays will be here before you know it, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2023; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                     

#TBT: There Is Light In Snow and Storm

Photo copyright Wings, 2023; all rights reserved.

It's #ThrowbackThursday at The NDN Silver Blog, with a #TBT work whose creation dates back some fifteen years ago, a pair of earrings wrought in an old traditional style. It's one of Wings's rare pairs of post earrings, these anchored by blossoms, incredible turquoise suspended from them, both a reminder that there is light in snow and storm.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. As always, this work will never be duplicated, 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 with fewer than three months left in this fourth year of pandemic and loss, and facing enormous expenses in the middle of our worst sales year in a very long time, the need for consistent sales is urgent at this point, so shares are very much needed and much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2023; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.      

Not boding well.

Photo copyright Aji, 2023; all rights reserved.

Another day of clouds that will accomplish absolutely nothing.

Everything is deadly dry. It's ten degrees cooler this week, and still more than twenty degrees above where it should be. It's not boding well for winter, and that's terrifying.

Nothing else is boding well, either. I need to sell something today. I think the hay is due to be delivered on Friday, and I've got to cover that, as well as everything else between now and all of the autopays that come with the first of the month next week.

It's been a terrible year on virtually every front, and I'm afraid we not might make it.

So it's back to the sales salt mines, without a lot of hope to accompany the work. A few days ago, I posted Wings's three newest works, rings all, here; they're amazing and you need to see them, so please go look, share them, and if you know someone who needs one (or the medicine of any of his other work), buy. Please.

Now, all the rest. I'm slower than ever because of my illness; everything takes me so much longer. I mean, everybody already knows that this year has been terrible on virtually every front, so much so that we're really up against it now. This year has been so slow that we're way behind on everything, including prepaying next year's taxes [that's a zero; a big fat zero]. I'm so much farther behind on everything, even more than I usually am: pushing sales, paperwork, housework, you name it. I did at least get his two newest BIG works up here last week, so there's that. They're both amazing, but the turtle is something truly extraordinary, and it's Sunday's featured work at NDN Silver. If I could sell that this week, I could quit worrying at least until November (including the hay_. 

Still. We have to make up a LOT of ground financially over the next two+ months. A LOT. I need to bring in at least one sale a week, preferably two, for the remainder of the year. And it's clear that my illness's progression means that I cannot maintain the pace or workload I have in years past. That means that we need help with shares, and with testimonials, too. If you have some of Wings's work and are willing to have a testimonial published on the site, send it to me via the Contact form (we will list you however you wish, by name, name and initial, initials only, some other way that doesn't identify you; you can see an example in our newest, here, and with luck, I'll have a second one up by tonight). All the links are listed below, so please share:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (liquid soaps are priority now [or Amazon cards, and I can order them myself]); 
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

There's lots of fabulous work on the site, and there will be much, much more in the weeks to come. The way this year has gone, things will still be grim for a good while and the holidays will be here before you know it, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2023; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                     

The Dreams of a World of Light

Photo copyright Aji, 2023; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a masterwork for a planet of dreams in flower, one that needs us to cultivate and nurture them and bring them fully into being now. It's a bolo of extraordinary beauty and power set with phenomenal Skystone, the whole reminding us that we are needed now in these dark and terrible days to imagine, to act, to fulfill the dreams of a world of light.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. With fewer than three months left in this fourth year of pandemic and loss, and facing enormous expenses in the middle of our worst sales year in a very long time, the need for consistent sales is urgent at this point, so shares are very much needed and much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2023; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.   

A couple of sales tonight would be good.

Photo copyright Aji, 2023; all rights reserved.

Absolutely extraordinary clouds and light this morning. Then they started drifting away in mid-afternoon, and now they're back. Whether that means any rain for us remains to be seen, but there is rain in the vicinity, and also southwest of here.

We can hope.

We can also hope for a sale tonight, however unlikely that may be. I've got to bring in enough to get us out of the month, plus another $500 to cover a deal Wings scored on hay for Miika that was too good to pass up. Over the weekend, he ran into the guy who did the rolling on our foundation when we built the house, and they got to talking; turns out he has beautiful grass hay he needs to get rid of, and that's the only kind Miika can have, and he offered it to Wings for $8 a bale. The cheapest garbage hay elsewhere is going for $17 a bale, more than double that. It's one of those things we can't afford to pass up, but it's going to wipe us out.

So. A couple of sales tonight would be good: one to cover $500 worth of hay for a horse that's severely limited in what she can eat; and another to get us out of this month in one piece, so to speak. I'm still sick, and really hobbling badly, so it's hard for me to keep up with everything, but damn, I've GOT to bring in more sales than what we've done all year if we're going to survive.

FSo for the moment, it's back to the sales salt mines, so that we can make sure we're covered when all the early-month auto-pays hit. A few days ago, I posted Wings's three newest works, rings all, here; they're amazing and you need to see them, so please go look, share them, and if you know someone who needs one (or the medicine of any of his other work), buy. Please.

Now, all the rest. I'm slower than ever because of my illness; everything takes me so much longer. I mean, everybody already knows that this year has been terrible on virtually every front, so much so that we're really up against it now. This year has been so slow that we're way behind on everything, including prepaying next year's taxes [that's a zero; a big fat zero]. I'm so much farther behind on everything, even more than I usually am: pushing sales, paperwork, housework, you name it. I did at least get his two newest BIG works up here last week, so there's that. They're both amazing, but the turtle is something truly extraordinary, and it's Sunday's featured work at NDN Silver. If I could sell that this week, I could quit worrying at least until November (including the hay_. 

Still. We have to make up a LOT of ground financially over the next two+ months. A LOT. I need to bring in at least one sale a week, preferably two, for the remainder of the year. And it's clear that my illness's progression means that I cannot maintain the pace or workload I have in years past. That means that we need help with shares, and with testimonials, too. If you have some of Wings's work and are willing to have a testimonial published on the site, send it to me via the Contact form (we will list you however you wish, by name, name and initial, initials only, some other way that doesn't identify you; you can see an example in our newest, here, and with luck, I'll have a second one up by tonight). All the links are listed below, so please share:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (liquid soaps are priority now [or Amazon cards, and I can order them myself]); 
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

There's lots of fabulous work on the site, and there will be much, much more in the weeks to come. The way this year has gone, things will still be grim for a good while and the holidays will be here before you know it, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2023; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                    

Red Willow Spirit: A Little Light Magic For Earth and Sky

Photo copyright Wings, 2023; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's an edition of Red Willow Spirit for the beauty of October's end, for medicine and mystery found in ordinary days. It's a tribute to that which the elements provide now, a little light magic for earth and sky, and a little joy and hope, as well.

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. With fewer than three months left in this fourth year of pandemic and loss, and facing enormous expenses in the middle of our worst sales year in a very long time, the need for consistent sales is urgent at this point, so shares are very much needed and much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2023; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

More room on the branches for the blackbirds now.

Photo copyright Aji, 2023;
all rights reserved.

It's slightly cooler today, and windy — enough to blow the smoke out of here temporarily, thank all that's holy. It's also enough to strip the trees of their leaves. The colors on the slopes are fading, and there's more room on the branches for the blackbirds now.

It's going to be a busy week here. One sale made this morning, and we are both so profoundly grateful; now, if I can just make one more before week's end, that should get us to November. Of course, then it starts all over again for the next week, and the next, and so on until year's end, which is coming far too fast now. And I'm still far too slow and too behind on everything, of course. I feel better today than yesterday, but that's a pretty low bar to clear, so I can't afford to make myself sicker now.

Over the last four days, we collectively managed to raise something around $1,400, I think, for Frank; this evening, I'll put together totals.  Once it clears our bank sometime this week, it will all be turned over to him. Thank you to everyone who donated, and as always, tonight I'll put the last of the more specific thanks out on social media.

For the moment, it's back to the sales salt mines, so that we can make sure we're covered when all the early-month auto-pays hit. Two days ago, I posted Wings's three newest works, rings all, here; they're amazing and you need to see them, so please go look, share them, and if you know someone who needs one (or the medicine of any of his other work), buy. Please.

Now, all the rest. I'm slower than ever because of my illness; everything takes me so much longer. I mean, everybody already knows that this year has been terrible on virtually every front, so much so that we're really up against it now. This year has been so slow that we're way behind on everything, including prepaying next year's taxes [that's a zero; a big fat zero]. I'm so much farther behind on everything, even more than I usually am: pushing sales, paperwork, housework, you name it. I did at least get his two newest BIG works up here last week, so there's that. They're both amazing, but the turtle is something truly extraordinary, and it's yesterday's featured work at NDN Silver. If I could sell that this week, I could quit worrying at least until sometime into November. 

Still. We have to make up a LOT of ground financially over the next two+ months. A LOT. I need to bring in at least one sale a week, preferably two, for the remainder of the year. And it's clear that my illness's progression means that I cannot maintain the pace or workload I have in years past. That means that we need help with shares, and with testimonials, too. If you have some of Wings's work and are willing to have a testimonial published on the site, send it to me via the Contact form (we will list you however you wish, by name, name and initial, initials only, some other way that doesn't identify you; you can see an example in our newest, here, and with luck, I'll have a second one up by tonight). All the links are listed below, so please share:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (liquid soaps are priority now [or Amazon cards, and I can order them myself]); 
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

There's lots of fabulous work on the site, and there will be much, much more in the weeks to come. The way this year has gone, things will still be grim for a good while and the holidays will be here before you know it, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2023; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                    

Monday Photo Meditation: Reaching for the Last of the Light

Photo copyright Wings, 2023;
all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a Monday Photo Meditation for the season's downward slope, for the way it synthesizes opposites into a stark and delicate beauty. It's a tribute to that beauty, and to the haunted and haunting spirits whose skeletal limbs, like our own now, are only reaching for the last of the light.

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. With fewer than three months left in this fourth year of pandemic and loss, and facing enormous expenses in the middle of our worst sales year in a very long time, the need for consistent sales is urgent at this point, so shares are very much needed and much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2023; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner. 

Noticeably bare.

Photo copyright Aji, 2023; all rights reserved.

The aspen on the left is getting noticeably bare now. On the peaks and slopes, the colors are starting to fade a bit today, even without any appreciable change in temperatures. Of course, all this ridiculous smoke the last two days probably had at least a little to do with it, too. I'm guessing we'll see the colors fading fast this week, and as I write, the wind is stripping the leaves even faster. 

Speaking of noticeably bare, that's us right now. I've been trying all week just to make one lousy sale, with no results, and it's now crunch time. [No, helping the folks we did over these last few days had made no difference to that; it wouldn't have been nearly enough, and they needed it more immediately.] I'm sicker than the proverbial dog today, too, with no real idea how long it will last (it's all the autoimmune nonsense, which happens periodically, and all I can do is ride it out until it's gone).

But I need to change that today. I have GOT to bring in something before this day is out, preferably a couple of sales, not just one, because we're already so far behind on this terrible year, month, week, you name it. Yesterday, I posted Wings's three newest works, rings all, here; they're amazing and you need to see them, so please go look, share them, and if you know someone who needs one (or the medicine of any of his other work), buy.  Please.

Also, it's the last day to get Frank fully funded. He's at something like $1,303 now, and that's great but it's not nearly enough. Details immediately below.

Some of you are already familiar with Frank Rain Leaf's work; you've bought his paintings or received cards from us with his prints on the front. He's an incredible artist. But it's hard to do your life's work when you're hospitalized, and we didn't know it, but that's where his been for a good while. Today he had to travel to Santa Fe for more tests, and yeah, it's an easy enough trip when you're young and healthy, but for the rest of us? Not so much. He hasn't been able to work, and depending on what comes out of these tests and whatever else they do, who knows how long it'll be before he can again. The medical establishment doesn't care; they'll keep billing anyway, as will the utilities and everyone else. He needs some breathing room so he can focus on getting well.

That's where all y'all come in, too. Thursday, we gave him what we could to help cover gas and food and lodging for his travel today. We don't have the kind of money [especially not after this god-awful year] to fund what he'll need thereafter. He doesn't have a GFM or any other means to do it himself, so we're raising funds for him.  The goal for yesterday was $1K, for immediate bills and needs, and I would love to bring in $5K overall so he has some breathing room while he recovers [and we beat it!]. Since I posted this yesterday, we've managed to raise a little over $1,200 through our PayPal account, and we're asking everyone we know who can [not if you're not able; only if it won't harm your own situation] to give, too.  Here's our direct PayPal link.  Please put "FOR FRANK" in the notes section. [Anything that comes in today goes to him; I'll just assume folks forgot to include it. The only reason I want it specified is so that come next year, we're not paying taxes on pass-through gifts to someone else.]

Now, all the rest. None of this means that I'm not pushing sales; we need them badly, especially after giving what we could to him this morning. And I'm slower than ever because of my illness; everything takes me so much longer. I mean, everybody already knows that this year has been terrible on virtually every front, so much so that we're really up against it now. This year has been so slow that we're way behind on everything, including prepaying next year's taxes [that's a zero; a big fat zero]. I'm so much farther behind on everything, even more than I usually am: pushing sales, paperwork, housework, you name it. I did at least get his two newest BIG works up here last week, so there's that. They're both amazing, but the turtle is something truly extraordinary, and it's today's featured work at NDN Silver. If I could sell that this week, I could quit worrying at least until sometime into November. 

Still. We have to make up a LOT of ground financially over the next three+ months. A LOT. I need to bring in at least one sale a week, preferably two, for the remainder of the year. And it's clear that my illness's progression means that I cannot maintain the pace or workload I have in years past. That means that we need help with shares, and with testimonials, too. If you have some of Wings's work and are willing to have a testimonial published on the site, send it to me via the Contact form (we will list you however you wish, by name, name and initial, initials only, some other way that doesn't identify you; you can see an example in our newest, here, and with luck, I'll have a second one up by tonight). All the links are listed below, so please share:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (liquid soaps are priority now [or Amazon cards, and I can order them myself]); 
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

There's lots of fabulous work on the site, and there will be much, much more in the weeks to come. The way this year has gone, things will still be grim for a good while and the holidays will be here before you know it, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2023; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.