Just windy and cold. Bitter cold.

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; all rights reserved.

Supposed to be more snow tonight. Right now, it's just windy and cold. Bitter cold. And the actual temps overnight are supposed to plunge to -6, even as it's supposed to be snowing.

I don't mind cold. But this level, with these winds? This is a whole other animal. If the winds would just stop, FFS, I could deal with even the sub-zero temps, but the wind is absolutely murderous on my joints, and you add the cold to that, and . . . ::sigh::.

I was feeling really hopeless last night, partly because the pain was so bad all day yesterday, but partly also because the last several months have just been so awful in so many ways, with no let-up. I feel better mentally today, at least a little. But that's a pretty damn low bar, considering what yesterday was like. And the stress never leaves me, not given how terrible last year was. And no sales so far this week, and I need to make at least one.

January's always hard anyway, regardless of weather. Aside from taxes, it's one of our two most costly months [the other being July], when we have a disproportionate number of one- and two-off expenses [insurance; several business-related renewals like site hosting, software platforms, domain services, etc.]. Coming on the heels of such a terrible sales year, it's not good. It's even worse since, once again, my Patreon is short ~$250, and made worse still by the new $600-800 a month for septic service all winter and half of spring ($200 of it paid out last Saturday, and the next round will probably be Tuesday, given Monday's holiday]. 

The need to make at least one sale a week never lets up, no. more than the physical pain that makes everything so much more impossible. We were blessed with one last week, but now I need to do the same for this one. As I said earlier, the two new cuffs are done, and they're posted here and here (the second is gone already, a gift for someone dear to us who did us a huge favor the other day). Those who like turquoise in the greens, these will be for you. There will be two more new works to come, probably tomorrow [one necklace, one ring, and I know I said "probably tomorrow yesterday, but yesterday set us back even further] never mind Wings saying that he was taking time off from creating new work from sheer fatigue; that resolution lasted all of two days. The new necklace is his fourth [recent] naja, is done save for the bead strand; maybe tomorrow. The fifth is in the works. And also as always, all the links are listed below, and sales are the most important:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities now are the liquid soaps and especially the vacuum, because mine has died a complete and ignominious death, and if I don't vacuum every single day, the dog hair takes over completely [and the dustbuster is just not cutting it]); 
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

There's lots of fabulous work on the site [EIGHT NEW PIECES before Christmas [one sold], plus two new ones a couple of nights before that]. After such a grim 2023, we really need to get this year started off on a better footing, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2024; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.