Omens.

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; all rights reserved.

Light blue skies, iridescent "clouds." Scare quotes because they're not actually real clouds at all, just more drought-deepening, air-polluting contrails. [Not that "chemtrails" nonsense; contrails. Look it up; jet fuel is full of microplastics, and the trails suck up whatever moisture is in the air, leaving less for air and land down here].

Yesterday, though, we had some iridescence that was naturally-occurring . . . and should not have been able to occur, given that it was 58 degrees. [It's 62 today.] Late afternoon brought us a sun dog, a phenomenon of deep, bitter cold. Except, as I said, it was 58. Should not have been possible, and yet there it was, for an hour and more.

In our cultures, they're omens. I am deeply concerned about what kind of omen a year that's started off so badly might bring us.

Taxes are due in a few weeks. That's non-negotiable. But we are also cursed with this septic system mess, and the guy who does the work of fixing these kinds of disasters [who we know; he's a good guy] 1) is unlikely to be able to do it before well into March, and 2) is convinced, based on our description and what the septic cleanout guys have told us, that it's going to require digging a whole new leachfield. We don't have that kind of money.

On top of that, my laptop is dying, and I don't have the kind of money I need to replace it [the image work I do means that it has to have a certain level of power]. It's been on the decline for three or four months, but I thought I had more time; last night, it became clear that it's going to be a very big problem sooner rather than later. If I can't replace it, I can't work; if I can't work, there's no income. 

Oh, and at some point, I'm going to need a power wheelchair. 

And the only way out of this is SALES.

I feel like I'm losing my mind, trying to find a way to cover just the first two, never mind the rest. We have had two sales now this whole month, and nothing else, and that's not gonna cut it, especially with my Patreon down $250 again this month. We're already paying out $200+ every 8-10 days to have the tank pumped, because the water has nowhere to go [and believe me, we're conserving as much as we can]. The most recent was this morning. All this nonsense comes in one of our two most costly months of the year as it is, and in the same quarter as taxes, and no amount of tearing my hair out is going to make all this reconcile, but here we are. Amid the constant, unremitting physical pain and the ugly new developments and complete and utter lack of an immune system in a place where no one mitigates the pandemic in the slightest, leaving me almost entirely housebound.

I got the Wings's four new pairs of earrings up yesterday: here, here, here, and here [this pair already sold, only our second sale of the month; he has more planned in this size/style]. The other works were posted the day before: the ring and four pairs of earrings, here, here, here, here, and here. IThese are all more moderately priced than most of his work, and the silverwork and stones are absolutely incredible . . . and Valentine's Day is only two weeks away, so go look. Please. I am at my wits' end after our worst year in recent memory last year and this year starting off so badly on so many fronts, and I need help sharing our links and his work. 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 about a dozen all told over the last three weeks or so, cuffs and earrings and pins, plus the necklace and earrings to come. 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.