Little monsters.

Photo copyright Aji, 2023;
all rights reserved.

Canine condo.

They look so innocent, don't they? They're little monsters. That is not Cricket's doghouse, by the way; his doghouse is out of camera range to my left as I shot it. It's Hunter's old doghouse, which is double-insulated, with a plushy bed and a mat and a blanket and we're already back up to two heated frisbees a night buried underneath them.

If he won't come inside [not for lack of our trying], at least he'll be warm.

Stormy loves the old giant crate, though. She spends a lot of her downtime in it by choice. Sunny prefers being on top of it. Either way, it's a good way to know they're nearby with just a quick glance outside.

So far, no real improvement in anything around here. Lots of expenses came due on the first, with more to come this week and next. My Patreon is more than $200 down from last month, on top of the more than $300 it was already down from this summer, so I'm now down more than $500 a month, and we cannot afford that kind of hit. Between that and the progression of my disease, which isn't improving either, I'm so far behind now that I can't get anything done. Wings has his scrips, at least, although that was a close thing, because despite the e-mails and phone messages reminding him to pick them up, they hadn't bothered to fill one of them, and it took me on the phone and him in person to light a fire under them. I was nothing but pleasant and polite, if insistent, and she practically hung up on me. But he's got them, so there's that.

It'll also be a good four figures the rest of this week and next for autopays, septic service, and a few other one-offs, though, and I have no way to do it. Meanwhile, my illness seems to be attacking my kidneys now, along with several other things. I spent Tuesday night throwing up, the night before wide awake and literally sobbing with pain, and Wednesday night on the edge of throwing up again, although I narrowly avoided it. It's also not pleasant going to bed not knowing whether you're going to wake up. I'm beyond my wits' end into uncharted territory now.

I have three of Wings's latest pairs of earrings up, here, and here, and the newest ones, brilliant blues completed only two days ago, here. Selling those would be a start, but even that would be only a start. I've got to do better, but how? I feel like I'm losing my mind, and the unbearable physical pain just adds to that.

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

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

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

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

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

Friday Feature: A Spirit of Restoration and Rebirth

Photo copyright Aji, 2023; all rights reserved.

It's our Friday Feature at The NDN Silver Blog, with a quartet of works from the same category, all sharing similarities of substance and animating spirit. It's four pairs of earrings, all wrought in simple sterling silver, all powerfully infused with a spirit of restoration and rebirth.

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

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

Seems impossible.

Photo copyright Aji, 2023; all rights reserved.

The birds are back.

Actually, they returned mid-afternoon yesterday, in droves, which tells us that both the harrier and the new red-tail had moved on.

For the moment. They'll both be back. But for now, the birds are enjoying sitting in the cooler air — and, of course, scavenging whatever they can beyond the seed Wings puts out for them daily.

It's November. It seems impossible; it was just New Year's a few weeks ago. This is the heart of our holiday sales season, except we haven't made any. Sales, I mean.

On top of that, lots of expenses came due yesterday, with more to come this week and next. My Patreon, such as it is, won't clear the bank before tomorrow, but worse, it's more than $200 down from last month. And that's on top of the more than $300 it was already down from this summer, so I'm now down more than $500 a month, and we cannot afford that kind of hit. Between that and the progression of my disease, I'm so far behind now that I can't do anything, and I am at my wits' end. I have to come up with a couple hundred for Wings's scrips tomorrow (we've been bumping the pick-up, but he has to go and get it tomorrow, because the pharmacy's not open on the weekends anymore), and a good four figures the rest of this week and next for autopays, septic service, and a few other one-offs, and I have no way to do it. Meanwhile, my illness seems to be attacking my kidneys now, along with several other things. I spent Tuesday night throwing up, the night before wide awake and literally sobbing with pain, and last night on the edge of throwing up again, although I narrowly avoided it. I'm beyond my wits' end into uncharted territory now.

I have three of Wings's latest pairs of earrings up, here, and here, and the newest ones, brilliant blues completed only yesterday, here. Selling those would be a start, but even that would be only a start. I've got to do better, but how? I feel like I'm losing my mind, and the unbearable physical pain just adds to that.

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

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

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

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

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

#ThrowbackThursday: A Place, and Space, of the Spirits

Photo copyright Wings, 2023; all rights reserved.

It's #TBT at The NDN Silver Blog, with a #ThrowbackThursday work that dates back some thirteen or fourteen years, to 2009 or so, and one of Wings's simple yet powerful series of traditional old-style earrings. All of them were simple sterling silver tab earrings, each wrought in different imagery and symbolism, this one designed to evoke and honor a place, and space, of the spirits.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. As always, this work will never be duplicated, but if the general style speaks to your spirit, simply inquire via the site's Contact form; Wings can create a version uniquely your own. And with fewer than three months left in this fourth year of pandemic and loss, and facing enormous expenses in the middle of our worst sales year in a very long time, the need for consistent sales is urgent at this point, so shares are very much needed and much appreciated.

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

I promised the blues in this series tonight, and here they are: new earrings by Wings.

Photo copyright Aji, 2023; all rights reserved.

I promised the blues in this series tonight, and here they are:  new earrings by Wings.  These are third in his current informal series, called Storm Medicine, and set with beautiful blue sodalite stones. We tend to think of sodalite as indigo with some pink and white, but a lot of it is cornflower blue.  These render brighter/deeper on-screen, but they're actually a true cornflower, with the faintest hint of periwinkle. You can read their full description here.

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

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

An incredibly eerie day.

photo copyright Aji, 2023; all rights reserved.

Stretching all the way across the sky. These are not real clouds; there's not a single thing natural about them. They're contrails, and they're everywhere today, and lest you think I'm complaining about "chemtrails" woo, let me assure that I'm not. It's scientifically firmly established that they are 1) full of microplastic pollution, and 2) suck all the ambient moisture in the air, which deepens drought.

One more troubling thing to add to what is already an incredibly eerie day here.

Everything's terrible. 

No sales, but lots of expenses come due today, and my Patreon, such as it is, won't clear the bank before tomorrow or Friday at the earliest. It's more than $200 down from last month, and that's on top of the more than $300 it was already down from this summer, so I'm now down more than $500 a month, and we cannot afford that kind of hit. Between that and the progression of my disease, I'm so far behind now that I can't do anything, and I am at my wits' end. I have to come up with a couple hundred for Wings's scrips tomorrow, and a good four figures the rest of this week and next for autopays, septic service, and a few other one-offs, and I have no way to do it. Meanwhile, my illness seems to be attacking my kidneys now, along with several other things. I spent last night throwing up, and the night before wide awake and literally sobbing with pain. I'm beyond my wits' end into uncharted territory now.

I have two of Wings's latest pairs of earrings up, here and here; there will be another new pair in the same informal series later today [sodalite, and they are gorgeous]. Selling those would be a start, but even that would be only a start. I've got to do better, but how? I feel like I'm losing my mind, and the unbearable physical pain just adds to that.

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

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

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

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

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

The Truth, the Wisdom, the Light of the Spirits

Photo copyright Aji, 2023; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a masterwork of traditional Indigenous silversmithing techniques that's especially apt for this day, infused as it is with symbolism found only in the space of the spirits. It's a cuff bracelet of extraordinary freehand silverwork, wrought with the truth, the wisdom, the light of the spirits that the whole world needs so desperately now.

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

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