Increasingly bare.

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; all rights reserved.

This morning. Most of the snow is gone; tundra and trees alike are increasingly bare. It feels like a metaphor for everything else in the world right now. Finances, sure, but mostly . . . everything in today's news is terrible, because the world is mostly terrible right now.

And there's very little we can do about most of that from here. We don't have that kind of authority or control over anything. All we can do is stick to our principles, and make things that tiniest bit better where we can, and it's never enough, but for now, it has to be.

And, of course, fix the finances issue as bets e can, which is hard when everything else is awful. No sales for about three weeks now, and that's not sustainable. I've got to get the tax stuff compiled and to our preparer, and then, of course, we'll have to pay the damn thing [the tax bill, not the preparer]. I also have to bring in enough to pay for digging a new leachfield as soon as we can get it done, and for paying out $200 cash every 8-10 days in the meantime until it's done [the most recent having been two days ago].  It was $250 out the door on medical stuff yesterday, and I ahve four very costly scrips to pick up tomorrow.

We've also had four now five requests for help here in the last two weeks, and a lot of it's tradish stuff, which means we can't say no. There will be a lot more of that this year, and when you occupy a [very relative] position of privilege, you have an obligation to help. I am also going to ahve to replace my laptop, and at some point, I will need to get a wheelchair, because even suppressing my immune system entirely is not going to regenerate the missing cartilage and repair the ongoing joint and connective tissue damage that comes from a lifetime of being refused treatment. I'm still not going to be able to stand for very long or walk very far, and that is the only way around it at this point. 

But to do it, I need help. As I said, Wings has a great deal of new work on the site: the newest three listed above, plus other necklaces, Warrior Woman pins, Pueblo pins, lots of new earrings. There are two new pairs of absolutely ethereal earrings from last week, and an extraordinary new necklace in the form of a spirit messenger. Go look; there's phenomenal work on there, new and less so. An as always, all the regular links are listed below, with sales, as always, being the most important:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities now are the liquid soaps and the descalers that I can't get here, the dog treats for the monsters, and the newest thing at the top, a harness that will let me haul my camera around [which I have to do for our work] without further damaging my neck, now that the pain has become intolerable); 
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

After such a grim 2023, we really need to get this year moving onto 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.                 

#TBT: A Liveable Green Future

Photo copyright Wings, 2024; all rights reserved.

It's #ThrowbackThursday at The NDN Silver Blog, with a #TBT work that dates back probably around fifteen years, one in Wings's long-running signature series of Warrior Woman pins. It's an entry in that series that features a strikingly bold heart and an unusual symbol of prosperity, reminding us of our obligation to be brave, to be strong, to be humble, and always to work for a liveable green future for generations to come.

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. We're two full months into this new calendar year and facing complications and costs carried over from the end of last year, which means that we will need to make consistent sales, so shares are very much needed and much appreciated.

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.      

When you're least expecting it.

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; all rights reserved.

Flawless blue skies today, and it feels warmer than it actually is. Sometimes, you get a blessing when you're least expecting it: a day without gale-force winds, and one in which things go smoothly.

My doctor agrees that my chemo dose should upped, based on the frankly extraordinary results the lower dose has given me so far. It'll take a day or two for the pharmacy to fill it, but then I'll have a supply that will allow me to titrate upward to the maximum dose, should I so desire [we both think it won't be necessary, but it gives me the flexibility if needed]. The max dose for autoimmune diseases is significantly lower than the dose used for cancer treatment; the idea is to suppress my immune system, not to destroy it completely. And apparently I am one of those rare people who 1) needs to have mine suppressed AND 2) has GOOD side effects from chemotherapy rather than nasty ones. Apparently I'm outlier across the board.

I also have a scrip, plus a supplement, for a new protocol for brain fog. It's one she hadn't heard about, but I had stumbled over it on Twitter last year, posted by a guy being treated for LongCOVID brain fog, and spent the intervening period researching it; she looked up the studies while I was there, agreed that it seemed like a good possibility for me, and is really interested to find out how my brain responds to it. For those who might be reading this and wondering what it is, it's a substance called guanfacine [prescription] combined with an non-Rx supplement, N-acetyl-cysteine [NAC, 600 mg to start]. If this is an issue for you, you might ask your own doctor about it.

Also, given what happened to me six years ago? Having her say to me "Your heart sounds REALLY GOOD" was a huge gift. I may badly disabled by pain, and I know that organ failures are ultimately a possibility with both diseases. But knowing that, apart from them, my baseline health is apparently good? It's an enormous relief.

Now, if I could just get the same kind of traction on sales . . . . None for about three weeks now, and that's not sustainable. I've got to get the tax stuff compiled and to our preparer, and then, of course, we'll have to pay the damn thing [the tax bill, not the preparer]. I also have to bring in enough to pay for digging a new leachfield as soon as we can get it done, and for paying out $200 cash every 8-10 days in the meantime until it's done [the most recent having been two days ago].

We've also had four requests for help here in the last two weeks, and a lot of it's tradish stuff, which means we can't say no. There will be a lot more of that this year, and when you occupy a [very relative] position of privilege, you have an obligation to help. I am also going to ahve to replace my laptop, and at some point, I will need to get a wheelchair, because even suppressing my immune system entirely is not going to regenerate the missing cartilage and repair the ongoing joint and connective tissue damage that comes from a lifetime of being refused treatment. I'm still not going to be able to stand for very long or walk very far, and that is the only way around it at this point. 

But to do it, I need help. As I said, Wings has a great deal of new work on the site: the newest three listed above, plus other necklaces, Warrior Woman pins, Pueblo pins, lots of new earrings. There are two new pairs of absolutely ethereal earrings from last week, and an extraordinary new necklace in the form of a spirit messenger. Go look; there's phenomenal work on there, new and less so. An as always, all the regular links are listed below, with sales, as always, being the most important:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities now are the liquid soaps and the descalers that I can't get here, the dog treats for the monsters, and the newest thing at the top, a harness that will let me haul my camera around [which I have to do for our work] without further damaging my neck, now that the pain has become intolerable); 
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

After such a grim 2023, we really need to get this year moving onto 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.                

The Green of a World Being Reborn

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a work for those increasingly rare days that sit at the threshold between seasons, when warming winds embrace the arc of an evergreen earth. It's necklace wrought in the shapes and shades and animating spirits of the beauty of the green of a world being reborn, of its hope and its medicine too.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We're two months into this new calendar year and facing complications and costs carried over from the end of last year, which means that we will need to make consistent sales, so shares are very much needed and much appreciated. 

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.    

Three months of pure hell ahead.

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; all rights reserved.

Horizontal snow. It's all wind all the time now, and we have three months of pure hell ahead. 

It's been an awful day on every front; apt, following on yesterday's expenses. First was $200 out the door for the septic pumping, plus some of that family stuff, and yesterday's total outlay was around $700. Better still if I could bring 4X that to cover this whole *month's*.

But no sales for two, three weeks now. There's a ton of new work on the site, all of it's fabulous, but it's getting no traction. Later this week, medical stuff for me; I find out whether I get my chemo dose upped. It needs to be. The change since I've been on it, despite the crippling pain that never goes away, has been nothing short of drastic; it's abundantly clear that I can't function unless my immune system is suppressed, and whatever the dangers [and I know very well what they are], that needs to happen.

Because I have GOT to be able to work. I've got to get the tax stuff compiled and to our preparer, first and foremost, and that requires focus that I don't have when my brain is swelling with unchecked inflammation. And, of course, I have to bring in enough sales/income to pay for them. I also have to bring in enough to pay for digging a new leachfield as soon as we can get it done, and for paying out $200 cash every 8-10 days in the meantime until it's done.

We've had four requests for help the last two weeks, and a lot of it's tradish stuff, which means we can't say no. There will be a lot more of that this year, and when you occupy a [very relative] position of privilege, you have an obligation to help. I am also going to ahve to replace my laptop, and at some point, I will need to get a wheelchair, because even suppressing my immune system entirely is not going to regenerate the missing cartilage and repair the ongoing joint and connective tissue damage that comes from a lifetime of being refused treatment. I'm still not going to be able to stand for very long or walk very far, and that is the only way around it at this point. I have no idea the damage done to my organs by now, and I'm frankly not all that interested in finding out. I don't have the bandwidth to do battle with the lab every goddamn time they try to charge me multiple times for what's already paid, and also? If they're functioning, at least nominally, I don't really feel like having that screwed up. I can't be out of commission, and all these near-death episodes and false DXs of cancer and other big bads have been more than enough for one lifetime, especially since I have all the degenerative autoimmune stuff going on anyway. 

But to do it, I need help. As I said, Wings has a great deal of new work on the site: the newest three listed above, plus other necklaces, Warrior Woman pins, Pueblo pins, lots of new earrings. There's more to come, including that new pair of incredible gray moonstone earrings that I haven't even had time to get up on the site yet. Go look; there's extraordinary work on there. An as always, all the regular links are listed below, with sales, as always, being the most important:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities now are the liquid soaps and the descalers that I can't get here, the dog treats for the monsters, and the newest thing at the top, a harness that will let me haul my camera around [which I have to do for our work] without further damaging my neck, now that the pain has become intolerable); 
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

After such a grim 2023, we really need to get this year moving onto 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.                

Red Willow Spirit: Every Elemental Green

Photo copyright Wings, 2024; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's an edition of Red Willow Spirit for the fury of a too-early spring and what the loss of late winter really means. It's a reminder that we live in a place where every elemental green depends upon the powerful collaboration of fire and water (and no small amount of work now from all of us) to create a world in health and harmony.

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. We're two months into this new calendar year and facing complications and costs carried over from the end of last year, which means that we will need to make consistent sales, so shares are very much needed and much appreciated.

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.   

This day, though? Not such a gift.

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; all rights reserved.

In case you were wondering why Wings hauled that uprooted cedar tree back here from the south field boundary: This is why. One of the crows has already settled into it as a new perch. He didn't want anyone coming along and swiping it, cutting it up; now it can keep serving its purpose, even if it's no longer rooted.

The really wonderful thing?  Last year, its seemingly long-dead roots apparently managed to clone it, exactly once. There is now a tiny, squat, fat little cedar about two and a half, three feet high, out at the very edge of our field, alive and thriving. There's always one last gift, if you know to look for it.

This day, though? Not such a gift. The clouds are glorious, but they're not delivering anything; instead, we have gale-force winds, which means that I have full body pain unremittingly, every joint and bit of connective tissue screaming at me nonstop. It's also going to be an expensive day; already $200 out the door for the septic pumping, plus some of that family stuff is happening today, and that has the potential to get very expensive indeed. I still don't have a fix on it, but I would feel a lot better if I could bring in a grand in sales today to cover at least most of today's outlay. Better still if I could bring 4X that to cover this whole *month's*.

But no sales for two, three weeks now. There's a ton of new work on the site, all of it's fabulous, but it's getting no traction. Later in the week, medical stuff for me; I find out whether I get my chemo dose upped. It needs to be. The change since I've been on it, despite the crippling pain that never goes away, has been nothing short of drastic; it's abundantly clear that I can't function unless my immune system is suppressed, and whatever the dangers [and I know very well what they are], that needs to happen.

Because I have GOT to be able to work. I've got to get the tax stuff compiled and to our preparer, first and foremost, and that requires focus that I don't have when my brain is swelling with unchecked inflammation. And, of course, I have to bring in enough sales/income to pay for them. I also have to bring in enough to pay for digging a new leachfield as soon as we can get it done, and for paying out $200 cash every 8-10 days in the meantime until it's done.

We've had four requests for help the last two weeks, and a lot of it's tradish stuff, which means we can't say no. There will be a lot more of that this year, and when you occupy a [very relative] position of privilege, you have an obligation to help. I am also going to ahve to replace my laptop, and at some point, I will need to get a wheelchair, because even suppressing my immune system entirely is not going to regenerate the missing cartilage and repair the ongoing joint and connective tissue damage that comes from a lifetime of being refused treatment. I'm still not going to be able to stand for very long or walk very far, and that is the only way around it at this point. I have no idea the damage done to my organs by now, and I'm frankly not all that interested in finding out. I don't have the bandwidth to do battle with the lab every goddamn time they try to charge me multiple times for what's already paid, and also? If they're functioning, at least nominally, I don't really feel like having that screwed up. I can't be out of commission, and all these near-death episodes and false DXs of cancer and other big bads have been more than enough for one lifetime, especially since I have all the degenerative autoimmune stuff going on anyway. 

But to do it, I need help. As I said, Wings has a great deal of new work on the site: the newest three listed above, plus other necklaces, Warrior Woman pins, Pueblo pins, lots of new earrings. There's more to come, including that new pair of incredible gray moonstone earrings that I haven't even had time to get up on the site yet. Go look; there's extraordinary work on there. An as always, all the regular links are listed below, with sales, as always, being the most important:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities now are the liquid soaps and the descalers that I can't get here, the dog treats for the monsters, and the newest thing at the top, a harness that will let me haul my camera around [which I have to do for our work] without further damaging my neck, now that the pain has become intolerable); 
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

After such a grim 2023, we really need to get this year moving onto 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.               

Monday Photo Meditation: A Lush Green In the Cold Winter Light

Photo copyright Wings, 2024; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a Monday Photo Meditation for the final days of February, and for the bleak world that presents itself to us in these dark days. It's a reminder that a world as wounded as ours is now is by no means inevitable, a reminder of a lush green in the cold winter light that, with our work, can be returned to this earth year-round.

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. We're two months into this new calendar year and facing complications and costs carried over from the end of last year, which means that we will need to make consistent sales, so shares are very much needed and much appreciated.

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.    

Seems like a metaphor for everything right now.

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; all rights reserved.

Clear, but still hazy. Most of that haze is smoke, from whatever burn they're still not talking about. Might be in southern Colorado; might just be one they don't want to acknowledge on this side of the line. Whatever it is, it was profoundly stupid to launch it when it was clear that the winds were already here.

In theory, rain and snow from tomorrow night through Tuesday. Any snow won't be any more than flurries, most likely; probably not even a dusting in terms of accumulation. Which seems like a metaphor for everything right now.

No sales for two, three weeks now. There's a ton of new work on the site, all of it's fabulous, but it's getting no traction. And I'm trying desperately to get caught up on practical stuff, but I'm so far behind that that's . . . a pipe dream, basically.

This is going to be a costly week yet again. Septic pumping again tomorrow. Later in the week, medical stuff for me; I find out whether I get my chemo dose upped. It needs to be. The change since I've been on it, despite the crippling pain that never goes away, has been nothing short of drastic; it's abundantly clear that I can't function unless my immune system is suppressed, and whatever the dangers [and I know very well what they are], that needs to happen.

Because I have GOT to be able to work. I've got to get the tax stuff compiled and to our preparer, first and foremost, and that requires focus that I don't have when my brain is swelling with unchecked inflammation. And, of course, I have to bring in enough sales/income to pay for them. I also have to bring in enough to pay for digging a new leachfield as soon as we can get it done, and for paying out $200 cash every 8-10 days in the meantime until it's done.

We've had four requests for help the last two weeks, and a lot of it's tradish stuff, which means we can't say no. There will be a lot more of that this year, and when you occupy a [very relative] position of privilege, you have an obligation to help. I am also going to ahve to replace my laptop, and at some point, I will need to get a wheelchair, because even suppressing my immune system entirely is not going to regenerate the missing cartilage and repair the ongoing joint and connective tissue damage that comes from a lifetime of being refused treatment. I'm still not going to be able to stand for very long or walk very far, and that is the only way around it at this point. I have no idea the damage done to my organs by now, and I'm frankly not all that interested in finding out. I don't have the bandwidth to do battle with the lab every goddamn time they try to charge me multiple times for what's already paid, and also? If they're functioning, at least nominally, I don't really feel like having that screwed up. I can't be out of commission, and all these near-death episodes and false DXs of cancer and other big bads have been more than enough for one lifetime, especially since I have all the degenerative autoimmune stuff going on anyway. 

But to do it, I need help. As I said, Wings has a great deal of new work on the site: the newest three listed above, plus other necklaces, Warrior Woman pins, Pueblo pins, lots of new earrings. There's more to come, including that new pair of incredible gray moonstone earrings that I haven't even had time to get up on the site yet. Go look; there's extraordinary work on there. An as always, all the regular links are listed below, with sales, as always, being the most important:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities now are the liquid soaps and the descalers that I can't get here, the dog treats for the monsters, and the newest thing at the top, a harness that will let me haul my camera around [which I have to do for our work] without further damaging my neck, now that the pain has become intolerable); 
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

After such a grim 2023, we really need to get this year moving onto 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.               

An Alpine Green Reborn

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a work for a world no longer sufficiently wintry, a prayer for the peaks in a time of too much warmth and too little water. It's a pin wrought freehand in the form and shape of Eagle's feather, prayer and promise for an alpine green reborn, and a reminder of our own obligations to ensure it.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We're two months into this new calendar year and facing complications and costs carried over from the end of last year, which means that we will need to make consistent sales, so shares are very much needed and much appreciated. 

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.    

You can feel the wind coming.

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; all rights reserved.

Clear sunny day, but still haze everywhere. It's not really bad yet, but as Wings just put it, you can feel the wind coming. We're in for at least three months of hell.

And once again, it's the end of another week, and I've made no sales and gotten nothing else accomplished. I'm so far behind, and I hate spring because it's absolute murder here. I hate this season for other reasons, too, mostly involving all the costs that get front-loaded into every new year, and especially the tax stuff. Now there's the leachfield on top of that. And as I said, still no sales, and there doesn't seem to be anything I can do about that, either. I posted Wings's newest the other night, the big one plus the two new pairs of earrings, here. Selling those three [and the newest pair he's got almost done] would probably bring us current for now, but I know that's not happening.

But I have to do something. Last year was frankly terrible on nearly every front, and we had hopes for improvement this year. Six weeks into it, that's already a lost cause. Last week, we had to pay for door repairs, including rehanging the kitchen door and lock replacement on the front door. Three figures out the door. Yesterday, another $200 for septic pumping, which happens every 8-10 days now because the leachfield either was dug incorrectly or has had an internal collapse blocking it. The septic guys think it's the former; either way, it'll likely have to be redug. That can't be done for weeks yet, but it's going to be hellishly expensive. Meanwhile, we've paid out four figures, cash, just since Christmas on the pumping.

Wings had to buy silver for his work two weeks ago, and the cost has skyrocketed. The following day, it was another $700 out the door for more septic service and refilling our propane tank. Fortunately, the latter is something we only do once a year at most, sometimes once every couple of years. But it was in the red zone, which means it's time, and the cost has gone up drastically since the last time we had it done. Apparently, we also need to get the water heater serviced. I spent too much time on a ladder two weekends ago doing battle with it, and I've got a workaround for now, but that will only work for so long. On top of that, we have relatives with traditional responsibilities coming up, and that's very, very expensive, so we've had to help them out [and will have to do so in the months to come]. Another elder came to us last Tuesday for help. Another request today, and I have no idea how much that's going to set us back.

And then there's the really expensive stuff. The taxes have to come before the leachfield. Add to all that the fact 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 months now, but I thought I had more time; a couple of weeks ago, 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. And at some point, I'm going to need a power wheelchair. I'm ambulatory, but the constant pain makes standing and walking for any length of time both very damaging, and having to go to the post office or the pharmacy or the grocery store sets me back for days on end; being able to sit while in line or getting around stores would help a lot, but my hands are too bad for one that doesn't have its own power source. My Patreon down $250 again; that's both January's payout and now February's. That's a huge hit for us, one I suspect will prove permanent. I need to cover all of these things, and I have no way to do it if I don't bring in steady sales.

Wings has a great deal of new work on the site: the newest three listed above, plus other necklaces, Warrior Woman pins, Pueblo pins, lots of new earrings. There's more to come, including that new pair of incredible gray moonstone earrings that I haven't even had time to get up on the site yet. Go look; there's extraordinary work on there. An as always, all the regular links are listed below, with sales, as always, being the most important:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities now are the liquid soaps and the descalers that I can't get here, the dog treats for the monsters, and the newest thing at the top, a harness that will let me haul my camera around [which I have to do for our work] without further damaging my neck, now that the pain has become intolerable); 
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

After such a grim 2023, we really need to get this year moving onto 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.               

A Sacred Trajectory

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a work to remind us now of the need not only for praxis but practice, of the importance now of perfect aim in all the work we do. It's a lapel pin, beautifully saw-cut and perfect streamlined, designed for the protective embrace of jackets and coats, blankets and shawls, and for a sacred trajectory of renewal and rebirth for the world, and for us.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We're a month and a half into this new calendar year and facing complications and costs carried over from the end of last year, which means that we will need to make consistent sales, so shares are very much needed and much appreciated. 

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.   

God, I'm tired.

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; all rights reserved.

That was this morning [before my day went to hell]. Haze everywhere. A lot of that is just contrails [not "just"; they're pollutants, and they aggravate the drought], but no small amount of it is clearly smoke. At least we didn't have as much of the wind today, although it had its moments. But it's no wonder my breathing capacity is taking a nosedive early. Having to be out in it, even masked? And on my feet besides.

God, I'm tired.

End of another week, and I've made no sales and gotten nothing else accomplished. I'm so far behind, and I hate spring because it's absolute murder here. I hate this season for other reasons, too, mostly involving all the costs that get front-loaded into every new year, and especially the tax stuff. Now there's the leachfield on top of that. And as I said, still no sales, and there doesn't seem to be anything I can do about that, either. I posted Wings's newest the other night, the big one plus the two new pairs of earrings, here. Selling those three [and the newest pair he's got almost done] would probably bring us current for now, but I know that's not happening.

But I have to do something. Last year was frankly terrible on nearly every front, and we had hopes for improvement this year. Six weeks into it, that's already a lost cause. Last week, we had to pay for door repairs, including rehanging the kitchen door and lock replacement on the front door. Three figures out the door. Yesterday, another $200 for septic pumping, which happens every 8-10 days now because the leachfield either was dug incorrectly or has had an internal collapse blocking it. The septic guys think it's the former; either way, it'll likely have to be redug. That can't be done for weeks yet, but it's going to be hellishly expensive. Meanwhile, we've paid out four figures, cash, just since Christmas on the pumping.

Wings had to buy silver for his work two weeks ago, and the cost has skyrocketed. The following day, it was another $700 out the door for more septic service and refilling our propane tank. Fortunately, the latter is something we only do once a year at most, sometimes once every couple of years. But it was in the red zone, which means it's time, and the cost has gone up drastically since the last time we had it done. Apparently, we also need to get the water heater serviced. I spent too much time on a ladder two weekends ago doing battle with it, and I've got a workaround for now, but that will only work for so long. On top of that, we have relatives with traditional responsibilities coming up, and that's very, very expensive, so we've had to help them out [and will have to do so in the months to come]. Another elder came to us last Tuesday for help. 

And then there's the really expensive stuff. The taxes have to come before the leachfield. Add to all that the fact 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 months now, but I thought I had more time; a couple of weeks ago, 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. And at some point, I'm going to need a power wheelchair. I'm ambulatory, but the constant pain makes standing and walking for any length of time both very damaging, and having to go to the post office or the pharmacy or the grocery store sets me back for days on end; being able to sit while in line or getting around stores would help a lot, but my hands are too bad for one that doesn't have its own power source. My Patreon down $250 again; that's both January's payout and now February's. That's a huge hit for us, one I suspect will prove permanent. I need to cover all of these things, and I have no way to do it if I don't bring in steady sales.

Wings has a great deal of new work on the site: the newest three listed above, plus other necklaces, Warrior Woman pins, Pueblo pins, lots of new earrings. There's more to come, including that new pair of incredible gray moonstone earrings that I haven't even had time to get up on the site yet. Go look; there's extraordinary work on there. An as always, all the regular links are listed below, with sales, as always, being the most important:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities now are the liquid soaps and the descalers that I can't get here, the dog treats for the monsters, and the newest thing at the top, a harness that will let me haul my camera around [which I have to do for our work] without further damaging my neck, now that the pain has become intolerable); 
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

After such a grim 2023, we really need to get this year moving onto 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.               

Friday Feature: A Consistent Magic

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; all rights reserved.

It's our Friday Feature at The NDN Silver Blog, with a trio of works from the same category that are manifest in all the beauty and power of celestial spirits. It's three pairs of earrings, two of them from among Wings's newer works, all of them manifest in the medicine and mystery of the sky worlds, of their lights that deliver a consistent magic.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We're a month into this new calendar year and facing complications and costs carried over from the end of last year, which means that we will need to make consistent sales, so shares are very much needed and much appreciated. 

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.      

Hard and bright.

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; all rights reserved.

These are days that are hard and bright, a harsh and arid blue altered only by the wind and dust.

It's the worst season of the year, more than a month early.

My allergies are off the charts, because the pollen's here early, too, never mind the dust and smoke [yes, because they keep doing prescribed burns despite the danger, presumably because they mismanaged it for so many years, not doing them, that there's no choice]. But I hate this season for other reasons, too, mostly involving all the costs that get front-loaded into every new year, and especially the tax stuff. Now there's the leachfield on top of that. And still no sales since week before last, and there doesn't seem to be anything I can do about that, either. I posted Wings's newest the other night, the big one plus the two new pairs of earrings, here. Selling those three [and the newest pair he's got almost done] would probably bring us current for now, but I know that's not happening.

But I have to do something. Last year was frankly terrible on nearly every front, and we had hopes for improvement this year. Six weeks into it, that's already a lost cause. Last week, we had to pay for door repairs, including rehanging the kitchen door and lock replacement on the front door. Three figures out the door. Yesterday, another $200 for septic pumping, which happens every 8-10 days now because the leachfield either was dug incorrectly or has had an internal collapse blocking it. The septic guys think it's the former; either way, it'll likely have to be redug. That can't be done for weeks yet, but it's going to be hellishly expensive. Meanwhile, we've paid out four figures, cash, just since Christmas on the pumping.

Wings had to buy silver for his work two weeks ago, and the cost has skyrocketed. The following day, it was another $700 out the door for more septic service and refilling our propane tank. Fortunately, the latter is something we only do once a year at most, sometimes once every couple of years. But it was in the red zone, which means it's time, and the cost has gone up drastically since the last time we had it done. Apparently, we also need to get the water heater serviced. I spent too much time on a ladder two weekends ago doing battle with it, and I've got a workaround for now, but that will only work for so long. On top of that, we have relatives with traditional responsibilities coming up, and that's very, very expensive, so we've had to help them out [and will have to do so in the months to come]. Another elder came to us last Tuesday for help. 

And then there's the really expensive stuff. The taxes have to come before the leachfield. Add to all that the fact 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 months now, but I thought I had more time; a couple of weeks ago, 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. And at some point, I'm going to need a power wheelchair. I'm ambulatory, but the constant pain makes standing and walking for any length of time both very damaging, and having to go to the post office or the pharmacy or the grocery store sets me back for days on end; being able to sit while in line or getting around stores would help a lot, but my hands are too bad for one that doesn't have its own power source. My Patreon down $250 again; that's both January's payout and now February's. That's a huge hit for us, one I suspect will prove permanent. I need to cover all of these things, and I have no way to do it if I don't bring in steady sales.

Wings has a great deal of new work on the site: the newest three listed above, plus other necklaces, Warrior Woman pins, Pueblo pins, lots of new earrings. There's more to come, including that new pair of incredible gray moonstone earrings that I haven't even had time to get up on the site yet. Go look; there's extraordinary work on there. An as always, all the regular links are listed below, with sales, as always, being the most important:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities now are the liquid soaps and the descalers that I can't get here, the dog treats for the monsters, and the newest thing at the top, a harness that will let me haul my camera around [which I have to do for our work] without further damaging my neck, now that the pain has become intolerable); 
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

After such a grim 2023, we really need to get this year moving onto 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.               

#ThrowbackThursday: A Way of Sacred Medicine

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; all rights reserved.

It's #ThrowbackThursday at The NDN Silver Blog, with a #TBT work that dates back almost two and a half years, to a very special commission for a good friend. It was for a ring to replace one that had gone missing, one stamped with the richness of flowing water and marking a way of sacred medicine. 

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. We're six weeks into this new calendar year and facing complications and costs carried over from the end of last year, which means that we will need to make consistent sales, so shares are very much needed and much appreciated.

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.     

The trickster winds of spring.

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; all rights reserved.

The gale-force winds are here. See that dirty brown line at the horizon? It's exactly that: dirt. Dust. What the trickster winds of spring send flying everywhere.

And I'm in for three months of even more agonizing joint pain, plus increased difficulty breathing.

I hate spring.

I hate it for other reasons, too, mostly involving all the costs that get front-loaded into every new year, and especially the tax stuff. Now there's the leachfield on top of that. And still no sales since week before last, and there doesn't seem to be anything I can do about that, either. I posted Wings's newest the other night, the big one plus the two new pairs of earrings, here. Selling those three would probably bring us current for now, but I know that's not happening.

But I have to do something. Last year was frankly terrible on nearly every front, and we had hopes for improvement this year. Six weeks into it, that's already a lost cause. Last week, we had to pay for door repairs, including rehanging the kitchen door and lock replacement on the front door. Three figures out the door. Yesterday, another $200 for septic pumping, which happens every 8-10 days now because the leachfield either was dug incorrectly or has had an internal collapse blocking it. The septic guys think it's the former; either way, it'll likely have to be redug. That can't be done for weeks yet, but it's going to be hellishly expensive. Meanwhile, we've paid out four figures, cash, just since Christmas on the pumping.

Wings had to buy silver for his work two weeks ago, and the cost has skyrocketed. The following day, it was another $700 out the door for more septic service and refilling our propane tank. Fortunately, the latter is something we only do once a year at most, sometimes once every couple of years. But it was in the red zone, which means it's time, and the cost has gone up drastically since the last time we had it done. Apparently, we also need to get the water heater serviced. I spent too much time on a ladder two weekends ago doing battle with it, and I've got a workaround for now, but that will only work for so long. On top of that, we have relatives with traditional responsibilities coming up, and that's very, very expensive, so we've had to help them out [and will have to do so in the months to come]. Another elder came to us last Tuesday for help. 

And then there's the really expensive stuff. The taxes have to come before the leachfield. Add to all that the fact 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 months now, but I thought I had more time; a couple of weeks ago, 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. And at some point, I'm going to need a power wheelchair. I'm ambulatory, but the constant pain makes standing and walking for any length of time both very damaging, and having to go to the post office or the pharmacy or the grocery store sets me back for days on end; being able to sit while in line or getting around stores would help a lot, but my hands are too bad for one that doesn't have its own power source. My Patreon down $250 again; that's both January's payout and now February's. That's a huge hit for us, one I suspect will prove permanent. I need to cover all of these things, and I have no way to do it if I don't bring in steady sales.

Wings has a great deal of new work on the site: last night's three, plus other necklaces, Warrior Woman pins, Pueblo pins, lots of new earrings. There's more to come, including that new pair of incredible gray moonstone earrings that I haven't even had time to get up on the site yet. Go look; there's extraordinary work on there. An as always, all the regular links are listed below, with sales, as always, being the most important:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities now are the liquid soaps and the descalers that I can't get here, the dog treats for the monsters, and the newest thing at the top, a harness that will let me haul my camera around [which I have to do for our work] without further damaging my neck, now that the pain has become intolerable); 
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

After such a grim 2023, we really need to get this year moving onto 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.               

Bolts of Mystery and Atmospheric Magic

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a masterwork for a time of chaotic conditions and capricious weather, of mountain lightning and rainbows out of season. It's a cuff wrought in vintage style and an old and powerful pattern, one inscribed, freehand, with deep bolts of mystery and atmospheric magic.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We're a month and a half into this new calendar year and facing complications and costs carried over from the end of last year, which means that we will need to make consistent sales, so shares are very much needed and much appreciated. 

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.