Two months early and likely to be short-lived.

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; all rights reserved.

Apparently the rain started around 1 AM, and continued intermittently throughout the early morning hours. We awaked to that up there, bands of fog clinging to the slopes, and a gentle but persistent shower ongoing.

The dogs, of course, covered themselves in mud instantly.

We've had rain off and on all day, and everything is so green. It's amazing, as ray as things still were only a couple of weeks ago. But the long-range forecast for summer is for deadly drought and unseasonal heat, so I guess this our monsoon season, two months early and likely to be short-lived.

Whatever; we'll take it. There've been too many years lately when we haven't even had this.

Otherwise, it's been a bad week, and today was no exception, hence the fat that I'm doing this morning's posts now, after 6PM. Apparently, I have almost three weeks of this nonsense left [assuming that getting my chemo dose properly adjusted takes care of a lot of it, which I realize is a big and largely unwarranted assumption, but hope is nothing if not stubborn and stupid], always assuming I make it that long. That, too, is a big and unwarranted assumption at this point.

And as I said yesterday, the really unpleasant part of all this, aside from the pain, I mean, is that it could also be an indicator of something else, something much worse. But we're not going there. Not before we have to, anyway. There's more than enough to worry about as it is: I'm already getting virtually no sleep at all, and the pain is worse every day than it was the day before. And if I'm being honest, it's scary as hell, because when you've dealt with these illnesses as many decades as I have? You know all too well the other, far worse things it could all turn out to be. And things are not right. That much I know for a fact. The question becomes whether "not right" is solvable by suppressing my immune system better, or if it's going to require MUCH higher doses of the same kind of drug, to a rather different end.

All I can do is shove it down as far into the recesses of my consciousness as my brain's pain receptors will allow, and get on with all the work that has to get done. The most important thing, of course, is bringing in sales, and we were fortunate enough to bring in one today, but it's not enough. The estimate for Monday's hose replacement in the truck, ~$170, turned out to be dead on; yesterday was yet another expense of $312 that I wasn't anticipating but had to be done, in a year in which such expenses have been absolutely endless. And we still have to pay those major medical stuff [and other] expenses later this month [and throughout, "we" means that I am the one who has to figure out how everything gets covered]; there's Wings's ongoing dental; we have some bureaucratic nonsense to take care of; and somehow, and I have GOT to bring in something for taxes. And the other demands on me are just as relentless [the ones that don't, directly, anyway, have to do explicitly with money]; there is no help for any of it, and I am at my wits' end over the latter ones especially. Combined with my illness progressing? I need help.

Meanwhile, my Patreon is still down by more than $700 a month over last year, and as our most consistent source of income, that is what pays our monthly bills like utilities and groceries and gas and so forth. What remains is not going to be enough even for that, never mind the taxes and everything else. Somehow, I have to bring in sales. If you're in the market, now would be a really, REALLY good time. I know I keep saying this, but this time I think it's actually true that I should have two four (4!) new pairs of earrings hopefully later tonight; it all depends on how rapidly I can get the editing and posting done. And as always, all the regular links are listed below, with sales, as always, being the most important:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (Apparently the FlexTape is the priority now, so I'm told; otherwise, Amazon cards are most important now, because they go to buy things we can't get locally, like the protein mixes for Wings and GF stuff for me and all the cleaning and other household products that people in cities can get but we can't; and also the filters for the air purifiers, because we have only one left and the amount of dust and dirt they take in in these winds is indescribable); 
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

After such a grim 2023, and with this year starting off MUCH worse (and given that we're already approaching the half-way mark), we really need to get 2024 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: The Silver Dawn's Last Sidereal Light

Photo copyright Wings, 2024; all rights reserved.

It's #TBT at The NDN Silver Blog, with a #ThrowbackThursday work that dates back some fifteen years or so, to an entry in one of Wings's informal series of old-style traditional tab earrings. This pair held one of the simplest designs, the sparest possible version of a Morning Star, and the shimmer of the silver dawn's last sidereal light.

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. It's now almost summer in this no-longer-new calendar year and facing complications and costs, some carried over from the end of last year, some all new, that have completely wiped us out. We need to make consistent sales urgently, 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.        

Not helping.

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; all rights reservved.

Along with everything else right now? The pollen is not helping. That seems to be the last of it for us [I hope] — one very late-leafing male aspen. That's not what's causing the problem though; no, it's apparently cottonwood-pollen season, a month early. We don't actually have any cottonwoods. But everyone else around here does, and with these winds?

We're getting all of their pollen.

It's been a terrible week on the health front for me. Didn't fall asleep until close to 6 AM, and had to be up not that long thereafter. My hip pain is worse again; the muscle hasn't fully spasmed again, but it's trying, which tells me that the joint is subluxed still. And apparently, I have almost three weeks of this nonsense left [assuming that getting my chemo dose properly adjusted takes care of a lot of it, which I realize is a big and largely unwarranted assumption, but hope is nothing if not stubborn and stupid], always assuming I make it that long. That, too, is a big and unwarranted assumption at this point.

And as I said yesterday, the really unpleasant part of all this, aside from the pain, I mean, is that it could also be an indicator of something else, something much worse. But we're not going there. Not before we have to, anyway. There's more than enough to worry about as it is: I'm already getting virtually no sleep at all, and the pain is worse every day than it was the day before. And if I'm being honest, it's scary as hell, because when you've dealt with these illnesses as many decades as I have? You know all too well the other, far worse things it could all turn out to be.

All I can do is shove it down as far into the recesses of my consciousness as my brain's pain receptors will allow, and get on with all the work that has to get done. The most important thing, of course, is bringing in sales, and we were fortunate enough to bring in one today, but it's not enough. The estimate for yesterday's hose replacement in the truck, ~$170, turned out to be dead on; today was yet another expense of $312 that I wasn't anticipating but had to be done, in a year in which such expenses have been absolutely endless. And we still have to pay those major medical stuff [and other] expenses later this month [and throughout, "we" means that I am the one who has to figure out how everything gets covered]; there's Wings's ongoing dental; we have some bureaucratic nonsense to take care of; and somehow, and I have GOT to bring in something for taxes. And the other demands on me are just as relentless [the ones that don't, directly, anyway, have to do explicitly with money]; there is no help for any of it, and I am at my wits' end over the latter ones especially. Combined with my illness progressing? I need help.

Meanwhile, my Patreon is still down by more than $700 a month over last year, and as our most consistent source of income, that is what pays our monthly bills like utilities and groceries and gas and so forth. What remains is not going to be enough even for that, never mind the taxes and everything else. Somehow, I have to bring in sales. If you're in the market, now would be a really, REALLY good time. I know I keep saying this, but this time I think it's actually true that I should have two new pairs of earrings hopefully by tomorrow evening, possibly three. And as always, all the regular links are listed below, with sales, as always, being the most important:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (Amazon cards are most important now, because they go to buy things we can't get locally, like the protein mixes for Wings and GF stuff for me and all the cleaning and other household products that people in cities can get but we can't; and also the filters for the air purifiers, because we have only one left and the amount of dust and dirt they take in in these winds is indescribable); 
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

After such a grim 2023, and with this year starting off MUCH worse (and given that we're already approaching the half-way mark), we really need to get 2024 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.                         

Celestial Crossroads and Bridges of Stardust and Light

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a pair of works for a world situated right where it belongs, wrapped in the stars of the greater cosmos, and for the spirits who rightly inhabit it. It's a new pendant and an older cuff, both of them clearly paired for those whose destiny has them meeting at celestial crossroads and bridges of stardust and light.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. It's now almost summer in this no-longer-new calendar year and facing complications and costs, some carried over from the end of last year, some all new, that have completely wiped us out. We need to make consistent sales urgently, 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.       

A big and largely unwarranted assumption.

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; all rights reserved.

Today's stormy skies, grayer now but nowhere near departed yet. That particular round brought a quick cloudburst, enough to fill 3/4 of the rain barrel, and add some hail for seasoning. Monsoon season is here almost two months early, which means that by the time the normal state date rolls around, it'll probably be over.

It's a lot colder since the fronts moved through, and we might well get more rain tonight. The high's been in the seventies the last two days, but by Thursday, it's only supposed to get up to 53 again, which means it'll be below freezing at night.

Hard to plan [or plant] around that when none of the usual patterns apply anymore.

Hard to navigate what the changes mean for my illness [es], too. The spasm in my left hip unwound itself overnight, so I can put weight on that leg again.  [Do you know how impossible it is to walk, even limping, when you can't put any weight on one leg? I'm having to learn these things on the fly.] That's not to say that it's all better; it's nowhere near. But at least I can walk somewhat today. The pain, though? Whole other level. I have almost three weeks of this nonsense left [assuming that getting my chemo dose properly adjusted takes care of a lot of it, which I realize is a big and largely unwarranted assumption, but hope is nothing if not stubborn and stupid], always assuming I make it that long. That, too, is a big and unwarranted assumption at this point.

And as I said yesterday, the really unpleasant part of all this, aside from the pain, I mean, is that it could also be an indicator of something else, something much worse. But we're not going there. Not before we have to, anyway. There's more than enough to worry about as it is: I'm already getting virtually no sleep at all, and the pain is worse every day than it was the day before. And if I'm being honest, it's scary as hell, because when you've dealt with these illnesses as many decades as I have? You know all too well the other, far worse things it could all turn out to be.

All I can do is shove it down as far into the recesses of my consciousness as my brain's pain receptors will allow, and get on with all the work that has to get done. The most important thing, of course, is bringing in sales, and we were fortunate enough to bring in one today, but it's not enough. The estimate for yesterday's hose replacement in the truck, ~$170, turned out to be dead on; today was yet another expense of $312 that I wasn't anticipating but had to be done, in a year in which such expenses have been absolutely endless. And we still have to pay those major medical stuff [and other] expenses later this month [and throughout, "we" means that I am the one who has to figure out how everything gets covered]; there's Wings's ongoing dental; we have some bureaucratic nonsense to take care of; and somehow, and I have GOT to bring in something for taxes. And the other demands on me are just as relentless [the ones that don't, directly, anyway, have to do explicitly with money]; there is no help for any of it, and I am at my wits' end over the latter ones especially. Combined with my illness progressing? I need help.

Meanwhile, my Patreon is still down by more than $700 a month over last year, and as our most consistent source of income, that is what pays our monthly bills like utilities and groceries and gas and so forth. What remains is not going to be enough even for that, never mind the taxes and everything else. Somehow, I have to bring in sales. If you're in the market, now would be a really, REALLY good time. I know I keep saying this, but this time I think it's actually true that I should have two new pairs of earrings hopefully by tomorrow evening, possibly three. And as always, all the regular links are listed below, with sales, as always, being the most important:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (Amazon cards are most important now, because they go to buy things we can't get locally, like the protein mixes for Wings and GF stuff for me and all the cleaning and other household products that people in cities can get but we can't; and also the filters for the air purifiers, because we have only one left and the amount of dust and dirt they take in in these winds is indescribable); 
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

After such a grim 2023, and with this year starting off MUCH worse (and given that we're already approaching the half-way mark), we really need to get 2024 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: A Cosmic Breath of Stardust, Light, and Life

Photo copyright Wings, 2024;
all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's an edition of Red Willow Spirit for these days of powerful, of not precisely seasonal, celestial and atmospheric gifts. It's two photos linked by a single work of wearable art, all of them infused with a cosmic breath of stardust, light, and life itself.

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. It's now almost summer in this no-longer-new calendar year and facing complications and costs, some carried over from the end of last year, some all new, that have completely wiped us out. We need to make consistent sales urgently, 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.     

Relentless.

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; all rights reserved.

We don't make much of holidays like Mother's Day and Father's Day [or most others, for that matter]. But that was my Mother's Day gift from Wings:  a GF chocolate cake with blueberry icing. It doesn't take very much to make me happy, and this will be dessert for the whole week [it's a very small cake, and too rich to eat more than a very small piece at a time].

Right now, I'll take whatever I can get in terms of happy, because my body seems to be doing its damnedest to kill me.

I mentioned no sleep most of the last several night; I was so tired last night that I fell asleep instantly .  . and woke up two hours later, unable to go back to sleep. Two hours after that, my left hip suddenly decided to sublux badly, the worst it's ever been. No, nothing triggered it, it was like someone flipping a switch, and today I can, quite literally, barely walk. My gait is severely impaired, so is my balance, nothing touches the pain, and I can barely move. Besides that? Right now, the pain is everywhere.

I know people think I'm exaggerating when I say that. I'm not. Head, neck, shoulders, arms, elbows, wrists, hands, fingers, sides, chest, back, hips, legs, knees, ankles, feet, toes? All in pain. Every second of every day. No respite. None. Imagine what it's like to deal with that invading your consciousness every single second, unable to sleep because of it, and now imagine dealing with the financial and other stresses I dealing withe very minute of every day. Because this is my life. And the last couple of weeks, my upper and middle back have been getting worse and worse, arms too, now my hip, and my lymph nodes are unbelievably swollen. I feel like a have the flu — more accurately, like I have a fever, but without the, you know, fever, no elevated body temperature. Both of those things are not uncommon with lupus, nor with rheumatoid arthritis, and I have both. But the really unpleasant part of all this, aside from the pain, I mean, is that it could also be an indicator of something else, something much worse. But we're not going there. I have to deal with this for another ~3 weeks, until I can see the doc and get back on the proper chemo dose, and we'll go from there.

But the rest of this month is going to be an absolute misery. If it's getting worse daily [which it is], I don't know how I cope with it between now and then. I'm already getting virtually no sleep at all. The pain is worse every day than it was the day before. And if I'm being honest, it's scary as hell, because when you've dealt with these illnesses as many decades as I have? You know all too well the other, far worse things it could all turn out to be.

All I can do is shove it down as far into the recesses of my consciousness as my brain's pain receptors will allow, and get on with all the work that has to get done. The most important thing, of course, is bringing in sales, but I'm having no luck on that front right now. As it is,  I can't even begin to cover the things I need to cover. Wings is supposed to take the truck in to have that hose replaced; current estimate is ~$170, but we won't know for sure until they actually get in there. Yet another expense, in a year in which they've been absolutely endless. And there's no end in sight, either.

Because we still have to pay for that major medical stuff [and other] expenses later this month [and throughout, "we" means that I am the one who has to figure out how everything gets covered]; there's Wings's ongoing dental; we have some bureaucratic nonsense to take care of; and somehow, and I have GOT to bring in something for taxes. And the other demands on me are just as relentless [the ones that don't, directly, anyway, have to do explicitly with money]; there is no help for any of it, and I am at my wits' end over the latter ones especially. Combined with my illness progressing? I need help.

Meanwhile, my Patreon is still down by more than $700 a month over last year, and as our most consistent source of income, that is what pays our monthly bills like utilities and groceries and gas and so forth. What remains is not going to be enough even for that, never mind the taxes and everything else. Somehow, I have to bring in sales. If you're in the market, now would be a really, REALLY good time. I should have two new pairs of earrings hopefully by tomorrow evening, possible three. And as always, all the regular links are listed below, with sales, as always, being the most important:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (Amazon cards are most important now, because they go to buy things we can't get locally, like the protein mixes for Wings and GF stuff for me and all the cleaning and other household products that people in cities can get but we can't; and also the filters for the air purifiers, because we have only one left and the amount of dust and dirt they take in in these winds is indescribable); 
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

After such a grim 2023, and with this year starting off MUCH worse (and given that we're already approaching the half-way mark), we really need to get 2024 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: The Paths of Cosmic Spirits

Photo copyright Wings, 2024; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a Monday Photo Meditation for days of extraordinary celestial events, from comets to meteor showers, from the birth of new stars to the Northern Lights. It's a photo that dates back just shy of thirty years, shot by Wings on film, a reminder of the power and guidance inherent in the path of cosmic spirits, a path that, in this wounded world, helps us find ourselves again.

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. It's now almost summer in this no-longer-new calendar year and facing complications and costs, some carried over from the end of last year, some all new, that have completely wiped us out. We need to make consistent sales urgently, 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.     

Everywhere.

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; all rights reserved.

More storms looming close again. Only a dozen or so drops this far, but that could change by evening. Yesterday it rained so long and so hard that it filled the rain barrels to overflowing in a matter of minutes. We had puddles everywhere, many a few inches deep, but the earth had absorbed it all by this morning. We even had full clearing overnight, not a single cloud to bar view of the stars [but no Northern Lights here, at least], until five o-clock this morning.

How do I know? I was up that whole time. Wide awake. Exhausted, but wide awake, because the pain is unrelenting right now, and there isn't a single thing I can do about it. My pain meds aren't even taking the edge off this. 

And right now, the pain is everywhere.

I know people think I'm exaggerating when I say that. I'm not. Head, neck, shoulders, arms, elbows, wrists, hands, fingers, sides, chest, back, hips, legs, knees, ankles, feet, toes? All in pain. Every second of every day. No respite. None. Imagine what it's like to deal with that invading your consciousness every single second, unable to sleep because of it, and now imagine dealing with the financial and other stresses I dealing withe very minute of every day. Because this is my life.

All I can do is shove it down as far into the recesses of my consciousness as my brain's pain receptors will allow, and get on with all the work that has to get done. The most important thing, of course, is bringing in sales, but I'm having no luck on that front right now. As it is,  I can't even begin to cover the things I need to cover. Tomorrow, Wings is supposed to take the truck in to have that hose replaced; current estimate is ~$170, but we won't know for sure until they actually get in there. Yet another expense, in a year in which they've been absolutely endless. And there's no end in sight, either.

Because we still have to pay for major medical other expenses later this month [and throughout, "we" means that I am the one who has to figure out how everything gets covered]; there's Wings's ongoing dental; we have some bureaucratic nonsense to take care of; and somehow, and I have GOT to bring in something for taxes. And the other demands on me are just as relentless [the ones that don't, directly, anyway, have to do explicitly with money]; there is no help for any of it, and I am at my wits' end over the latter ones especially. Combined with my illness progressing? I need help.

Meanwhile, my Patreon is still down by more than $700 a month over last year, and as our most consistent source of income, that is what pays our monthly bills like utilities and groceries and gas and so forth. What remains is not going to be enough even for that, never mind the taxes and everything else. Somehow, I have to bring in sales. If you're in the market, now would be a really, REALLY good time. I should have two new pairs of earrings this evening, possible three. And as always, all the regular links are listed below, with sales, as always, being the most important:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (Amazon cards are most important now, because they go to buy things we can't get locally, like the protein mixes for Wings and GF stuff for me and all the cleaning and other household products that people in cities can get but we can't; and also the filters for the air purifiers, because we have only one left and the amount of dust and dirt they take in in these winds is indescribable); 
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

After such a grim 2023, and with this year starting off MUCH worse (and given that we're already approaching the half-way mark), we really need to get 2024 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.                         

Star Dancing

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a work for these days of powerful celestial events, of the visitations of sky spirits not usually able to reach us as our world makes it own ring around the sun. It's a ring of more literal form, a hoop of substance and solidity and sidereal power and joy, reminding us to mirror the appreciation and celebration of the cosmos found in the animated beauty of star dancing.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. It's now almost summer in this no-longer-new calendar year and facing complications and costs, some carried over from the end of last year, some all new, that have completely wiped us out. We need to make consistent sales urgently, 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.       

There's always another storm, gathering.

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; all rights reserved.

Another storm, gathering. In every sense of the phrase, because metaphorically, this year, at least? There's always another storm, gathering.

I'm really struggling with pain and illness and fatigue right now. There won't be any help for any of it before the end of the month, if then. I don't think there's anything they can do at this point. [Well, they could allow me a higher dose of pain meds, but the feds have made such ableist cops of themselves that no one will prescribe even to just-take-the-minimum-edge-off levels anymore.] today's a hard day for other reasons, a particular marker; tomorrow's even harder for me. Everything combined? The sadness is threatening to swamp me right now.

And I can't even begin to cover the things I need to cover. On Monday, Wings is supposed to take the truck in to have that hose replaced; current estimate is ~$170, but we won't know for sure until they actually get in there. Yet another expense, in a year in which they've been absolutely endless. And there's no end in sight, either.

Because we still have to pay for major medical other expenses later this month [and throughout, "we" means that I am the one who has to figure out how everything gets covered]; there's Wings's ongoing dental; we have some bureaucratic nonsense to take care of; and somehow, and I have GOT to bring in something for taxes. And the other demands on me are just as relentless [the ones that don't, directly, anyway, have to do explicitly with money]; there is no help for any of it, and I am at my wits' end over the latter ones especially. Combined with my illness progressing? I need help.

Meanwhile, my Patreon is still down by more than $700 a month over last year, and as our most consistent source of income, that is what pays our monthly bills like utilities and groceries and gas and so forth. What remains is not going to be enough even for that, never mind the taxes and everything else. Somehow, I have to bring in sales. If you're in the market, now would be a really, REALLY good time. And as always, all the regular links are listed below, with sales, as always, being the most important:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (Amazon cards are most important now, because they go to buy things we can't get locally, like the protein mixes for Wings and GF stuff for me and all the cleaning and other household products that people in cities can get but we can't; and also the filters for the air purifiers, because we have only one left and the amount of dust and dirt they take in in these winds is indescribable); 
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

After such a grim 2023, and with this year starting off MUCH worse (and given that we're already approaching the half-way mark), we really need to get 2024 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.                         

What the Mountains Make Possible

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a work for the life, the beauty, the medicine of an alpine lake, one of the gifts of the range that surrounds us that sustains our small world. It's a tribute to what the mountains make possible, a reminder that even if we cannot see the aurora for the clouds, at least the peaks are drawing them to us to deliver rain.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. It's now almost summer in this no-longer-new calendar year and facing complications and costs, some carried over from the end of last year, some all new, that have completely wiped us out. We need to make consistent sales urgently, 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.       

No end in sight, either.

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; all rights reserved.

More stormclouds forming. Nothing but more trickster winds out of them so far, though.

We did get a little rain last night; not a lot, but enough to tamp down the dust somewhat. Not enough of the other kind of rain to tamp down the dust of all the bills right now. Wings is supposed to take the truck in Monday to have that hose replaced; current estimate is ~$170, but we won't know for sure until they actually get in there.

Yet another expense, in a year in which they've been absolutely endless.

And there's no end in sight, either.

Because we still have to pay for major medical other expenses later this month [and throughout, "we" means that I am the one who has to figure out how everything gets covered]; there's Wings's ongoing dental; we have some bureaucratic nonsense to take care of; and somehow, and I have GOT to bring in something for taxes. And the other demands on me are just as relentless [the ones that don't, directly, anyway, have to do explicitly with money]; there is no help for any of it, and I am at my wits' end over the latter ones especially. Combined with my illness progressing? I need help.

Meanwhile, my Patreon is still down by more than $700 a month over last year, and as our most consistent source of income, that is what pays our monthly bills like utilities and groceries and gas and so forth. What remains is not going to be enough even for that, never mind the taxes and everything else. Somehow, I have to bring in sales. If you're in the market, now would be a really, REALLY good time. And as always, all the regular links are listed below, with sales, as always, being the most important:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (Amazon cards are most important now, because they go to buy things we can't get locally, like the protein mixes for Wings and GF stuff for me and all the cleaning and other household products that people in cities can get but we can't; and also the filters for the air purifiers, because we have only one left and the amount of dust and dirt they take in in these winds is indescribable); 
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

After such a grim 2023, and with this year starting off MUCH worse (and given that we're already approaching the half-way mark), we really need to get 2024 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: What the Flames Transform

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; all rights reserved.

It's our Friday Feature at The NDN Silver Blog, with a single masterwork shown from three perspectives, a phenomenal fusion of the Earth's own art with that of human hands, to show the beauty that emerges from ancient fires. It's an extraordinary pendant suspended from a strand of beads individually hand-selected, conspiring to show us what the flames transform in a world of healing and harmony.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. It's now almost summer in this no-longer-new calendar year and facing complications and costs, some carried over from the end of last year, some all new, that have completely wiped us out. We need to make consistent sales urgently, 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. 

Small compensations.

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; all rights reserved.

This morning's clouds.  They were absolutely otherworldly; it was like a cross between waking up in the Andes and waking up in Arthurian myth.

Small compensations on what has otherwise been a very fraught day for us both.

Today was another of Wings's dental follow-ups; no charge for this one, thank all that's holy, but plenty of cost to him in terms of pain and discomfort and inconvenience leading up to it. Hopefully the changes today will fix a good share of that, but he has to have everything re-checked next week. Being diabetic complicates so much in dental work.

We've also, despite all the pretty clouds, had precious little in the way of rain today; only a few scattered drops a few moments at a time. Lots of gale-force winds, though, so it's a continuation of the rest of the week, and that means that our pain levels are a continuation of same. Mine in particular are especially intractable now; there is not a single part of my body that is not in agony, and nothing helps. Add to that all the stresses on me right now across the board, and I just want this week to be done.

Because we still have to pay for major medical other expenses later this month [and throughout, "we" means that I am the one who has to figure out how everything gets covered]; there's Wings's ongoing dental; we have some bureaucratic nonsense to take care of; and somehow, and I have GOT to bring in something for taxes. And the other demands on me are just as relentless [the ones that don't, directly, anyway, have to do explicitly with money]; there is no help for any of it, and I am at my wits' end over the latter ones especially. Combined with my illness progressing? I need help.

Meanwhile, my Patreon is still down by more than $700 a month over last year, and as our most consistent source of income, that is what pays our monthly bills like utilities and groceries and gas and so forth. What remains is not going to be enough even for that, never mind the taxes and everything else. Somehow, I have to bring in sales. If you're in the market, now would be a really, REALLY good time. And as always, all the regular links are listed below, with sales, as always, being the most important:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (Amazon cards are most important now, because they go to buy things we can't get locally, like the protein mixes for Wings and GF stuff for me and all the cleaning and other household products that people in cities can get but we can't; and also the filters for the air purifiers, because we have only one left and the amount of dust and dirt they take in in these winds is indescribable); 
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

After such a grim 2023, and with this year starting off MUCH worse (and given that we're already approaching the half-way mark), we really need to get 2024 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: What Flowers From Day Into Night

Photo copyright Wings, 2024; all rights reserved.

It's #ThrowbackThursday at The NDN Silver Blog, with a #TBT work that dates back some fourteen years or so, one of two pairs of earrings built around some extraordinary gaspeite cabochons. Each pair was slightly different, this one accented with three round onyx cabochons per drop, the gaspeite animated by the spirits of wind-blown branches and what flowers from day into night.

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. It's now almost summer in this no-longer-new calendar year and facing complications and costs, some carried over from the end of last year, some all new, that have completely wiped us out. We need to make consistent sales urgently, 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.        

First tulips.

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; all rights reserved.

It has been bitterly cold all day; even colder now that it's evening. Despite that, the first tulips opened this morning, and a few minutes ago, a tanager returned, contemplating raiding the hummingbird feeder. He took off across the highway, but he'll undoubtedly be back.

Everything else today has been miserable: gale-force winds, terrible cold [it's May!], and all the physical pain that attends them both. And none of it matters; climate collapse means that we'll have more of this bullshit, not less. And the work still has to get done, and the bills still have to get paid, and so far, I'm doing lousy at all of it.

We still have to pay for major medical other expenses later this month [and throughout, "we" means that I am the one who has to figure out how everything gets covered]; there's Wings's ongoing dental; we have some bureaucratic nonsense to take care of; and somehow, and I have GOT to bring in something for taxes. And the other demands on me are just as relentless [the ones that don't, directly, anyway, have to do explicitly with money]; there is no help for any of it, and I am at my wits' end over the latter ones especially. Combined with my illness progressing? I need help.

Meanwhile, my Patreon is still down by more than $700 a month over last year, and as our most consistent source of income, that is what pays our monthly bills like utilities and groceries and gas and so forth. What remains is not going to be enough even for that, never mind the taxes and everything else. Somehow, I have to bring in sales. If you're in the market, now would be a really, REALLY good time.And as always, all the regular links are listed below, with sales, as always, being the most important:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (Amazon cards are most important now, because they go to buy things we can't get locally, like the protein mixes for Wings and GF stuff for me and all the cleaning and other household products that people in cities can get but we can't; and also the filters for the air purifiers, because we have only one left and the amount of dust and dirt they take in in these winds is indescribable); 
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

After such a grim 2023, and with this year starting off MUCH worse (and given that we're already approaching the half-way mark), we really need to get 2024 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.                         

What the Waters Protect and Reveal

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a work for a season of re-emergence, of Turtle Island abandoning hibernation for seasons of warmth and light. It's Grandmother Turtle as you've never seen her, formed of extraordinary artistry in silver and stone, a reminder of what the waters protect and reveal, and our own obligations to their well-being.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. It's now almost summer in this no-longer-new calendar year and facing complications and costs, some carried over from the end of last year, some all new, that have completely wiped us out. We need to make consistent sales urgently, 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.       

Doing lousy at all of it.

Photo copyright Aji, 2024; all rights reserved.

It's been like this all day here. Actually, what the photo shows is mild; you can see the dirt, but you can't see the massive wall of dust that preceded it, because I wasn't fast enough to get it. And why wasn't I? Because I made the mistake of picking up a tarp that the wind had blown onto the ground.

I was battling the wind trying to fold and stow it in a place on the deck where it wouldn't blow away, and between my ongoing balance issues and a nasty wind gust, I tripped over the boot scraper. Slammed my right ulna against the post, in exactly the same spot where I injured it two months ago [and still have a lump as a result]. Worse, my right knee? The one that's been slightly dislocated for more than two years now? The one that the chemo just started to help three days ago, allowing it to go slightly back into place? Torqued. And tore. I heard it and felt it go, and I'm still feeling it, and I'm so pissed. 

And the pain is agonizing.

And none of it matters; climate collapse means that we'll have more of this bullshit, not less. And the work still has to get done, and the bills still have to get paid, and so far, I'm doing lousy at all of it.

We still have to pay for major medical other expenses later this month [and throughout, "we" means that I am the one who has to figure out how everything gets covered]; there's Wings's ongoing dental; we have some bureaucratic nonsense to take care of; and somehow, and I have GOT to bring in something for taxes. And the other demands on me are just as relentless [the ones that don't, directly, anyway, have to do explicitly with money]; there is no help for any of it, and I am at my wits' end over the latter ones especially. Combined with my illness progressing? I need help.

Meanwhile, my Patreon is still down by more than $700 a month over last year, and as our most consistent source of income, that is what pays our monthly bills like utilities and groceries and gas and so forth. What remains is not going to be enough even for that, never mind the taxes and everything else. Somehow, I have to bring in sales. If you're in the market, now would be a really, REALLY good time.And as always, all the regular links are listed below, with sales, as always, being the most important:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (Amazon cards are most important now, because they go to buy things we can't get locally, like the protein mixes for Wings and GF stuff for me and all the cleaning and other household products that people in cities can get but we can't; and also the filters for the air purifiers, because we have only one left and the amount of dust and dirt they take in in these winds is indescribable); 
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

After such a grim 2023, and with this year starting off MUCH worse (and given that we're already approaching the half-way mark), we really need to get 2024 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.