Making Room For Medicine

Photo copyright Aji, 2021; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a masterwork that summons the spirits of earth and sky, of the winds and the Sacred Directions, all into the circle of the hoop. It's a manifestation of traditional teachings, too, and the power they hold, reminding us of the need for making time and space for prayer, and making room for medicine.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We are still going to need to make consistent sales to make it through March and the rest of this terrible, pandemic-ridden winter into spring (one that has already been bitter indeed for our communities), as well as the rest of the year, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2021; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.  

A day.

Photo copyright Aji, 2021; all rights reserved.

Wings's latest. Also mine. Unbeknownst to me, he made them as a gift for me, and gave them to me yesterday. It's . . . fitting in ways I'm too tired to detail here tonight, both substance and timing, but these will put in a #ThrowbackThursday appearance on his site, and I'll explain then.

Meanwhile, it's been A DAY, which is why I'm so very, very late getting to all of this. A busy one, a costly one, and a hard one for me so busy's better than not. Also,Spice is still with us for the moment, although I expect that when she goes to sleep tonight (she's next to her little heater in the studio now, staying warm), she will likely not wake up. Which means, snow or not, we'll have to do some digging tomorrow. And, of course, all the other work.

And this week is already slammed, weather or no weather, and the next three weeks or so will be more of the same. I have to get to work this week anyway on organizing our taxes and a bunch of other stuff for the year to come. The delay on the freezer (and they charged us a FORTUNE this time around for delivery) means delaying our inquiry into Pojoaque's bison program (or any real meat purchases at all right now) and see how much it will cost to buy a share of a buffalo. Early research suggests around ~$2K, so we may need to crowdfund that. The thing about it is that it won't feed only us; it'll get shared with other folks.

Also, last Sunday, we submitted an application to the state for a grant that, if we're lucky enough to get it, will cover about 2/3 of the cost of the well we have to drill as soon as possible ("as soon as possible" being months in the offing yet, because $15K total for the whole operation, and also they're booked for several months already). And then there's Wings's hearing aids, because I think he's finally convinced that we need to make the investment. I'm going to need to set up PayPal pools to fund them, absent making a whole bunch of sales now. It's endless, and I am so tired just thinking about it.

We need sales. Sales, sales, SALES.

SALES. NOTHING ELSE MATTERS RIGHT NOW, AND I CANNOT GET ANY TIME TO MAKE SALES.

The last couple of years have required us to dig deep and ante up to help others at a level we've never done before. This year? The first two and a half months of 2021? Has already buried that. But as I said about that being why we do what we do, especially now in these days of pandemic, it's become abundantly clear that too often, there IS NO tomorrow, and the only chance you might have to help someone stay alive is TODAY. Things are bad locally; no economy, nothing. No vaccines for most folks dependent on the state system, either. We have lost SO much to 2020 (and already in 2021), so very, very many people, and the gifts and the talents and the knowledge and the wisdom they carried too often lost with them. People have needed so much more help than we could give them, but we did as much as we could, even when it put us in a bind, and we will need to do much more of that this year. People continue to need help, and we give it, but we're up well over $2 grand in just that one week, and a whole lot more before and since. 

I can juggle for now, but I've got to find it again somewhere. Part of my work involves me reorganizing the Web site and then promoting the hell out of everything again. That's on top of all the other work I need to do around here, and I have been mostly useless, largely due to the recent flurry of episodes with my health. For every episode, it takes me multiple days to recover, all while hoping that another one doesn't set me back even further. That's not good. Too many people need help, and the government remains determined to see us die. There's work to do. This is why I've had to stop doing some things; there are just not enough hours in the day anymore, and I've got to make it all of this up somewhere. So:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities are LaminaSaver for Miika & metal/glass cleaners);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

And if you've been contemplating a purchase? This would be a very, very good time to do it; I've got to make up this staggering outlay somehow. There's even new work, here and here and now here, among other new pieces from 3 weeks ago, too, so please watch for them and share the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2021; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.    

Red Willow Spirit: A Season For Prayer

Photo copyright Wings, 2021; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's an edition of Red Willow Spirit for help in the hard season. It's an honoring of ancient spirits and timeless powers and the gifts they choose to share, and a reminder to us that this is always a season for prayer.

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. With the economy dead courtesy of a year's worth of uncontrolled pandemic, we are still going to need to make consistent sales to make it through the season (one that has already been bitter indeed for our communities) and the rest of the year, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2021; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.   

Still with us.

Photo copyright Aji, 2021; all rights reserved.

Yes, Spice is still with us.  I didn't think she'd make it through Friday night, but she did, and she even ventured out into the open to enjoy the sun and warmer air.

And, of course, a couple of the other chickens went for her, because they are bullies, and that's what they do. So I scooped her up and kept her with me, and Wings created a nest for her out a cardboard box and some hay, and she's been spending her days and nights in the studio next to the heater ever since. She gets fresh water and food and the chicken treats she loves so much (and that's mostly what she eats now), and she can still get around on her own, although she's sleeping for longer and longer stretches. It's not a question of getting well; it's one of making sure she's safe and comfortable and happy while her little body slowly winds itself down. She's had a good long life (in chicken years).

Meanwhile, a few tiny flurries is all we've had so far, although you can see snow falling on the peaks and slopes on all sides of us.  We're supposed to get five consecutive days of this, but as always, we'll believe it when we see it. At lest the wind is not as bad now; yesterday was brutal, and we're both paying for it today. I'm hobbling, and that's not going to improve anytime soon.

This day isn't improving, either; it's been a nightmare of interruptions and disruptions and derailments all day so far, and I have gotten nothing accomplished. Mostly because literally no one regards my time or my work as valuable, as something that can't just be interrupted on the slightest whim, because I can just delay everything for everybody else, no matter how trivial. That's not how this works, and at the moment, I'm ready to start throwing things, because I have GOT to be left alone to fucking work. It doesn't help that tomorrow is going to be a shit day no matter what happens, because it's one of the worst markers of the year for me, and I spend weeks before dreading it and weeks after coping with the inevitable fallout.

This coming week is already going to be slammed, weather or no weather, and the next three weeks or so will be more of the same. I have to get to work this week anyway on organizing our taxes and a bunch of other stuff for the year to come. The delay on the freezer (and they charged us a FORTUNE this time around for delivery) means delaying our inquiry into Pojoaque's bison program (or any real meat purchases at all right now) and see how much it will cost to buy a share of a buffalo. Early research suggests around ~$2K, so we may need to crowdfund that. The thing about it is that it won't feed only us; it'll get shared with other folks.

Also, last Sunday, we submitted an application to the state for a grant that, if we're lucky enough to get it, will cover about 2/3 of the cost of the well we have to drill as soon as possible ("as soon as possible" being months in the offing yet, because $15K total for the whole operation, and also they're booked for several months already). And then there's Wings's hearing aids, because I think he's finally convinced that we need to make the investment. I'm going to need to set up PayPal pools to fund them, absent making a whole bunch of sales now. It's endless, and I am so tired just thinking about it.

We need sales. Sales, sales, SALES.

SALES. NOTHING ELSE MATTERS RIGHT NOW, AND I CANNOT GET ANY TIME TO MAKE SALES.

The last couple of years have required us to dig deep and ante up to help others at a level we've never done before. This year? The first two and a half months of 2021? Has already buried that. But as I said about that being why we do what we do, especially now in these days of pandemic, it's become abundantly clear that too often, there IS NO tomorrow, and the only chance you might have to help someone stay alive is TODAY. Things are bad locally; no economy, nothing. No vaccines for most folks dependent on the state system, either. We have lost SO much to 2020 (and already in 2021), so very, very many people, and the gifts and the talents and the knowledge and the wisdom they carried too often lost with them. People have needed so much more help than we could give them, but we did as much as we could, even when it put us in a bind, and we will need to do much more of that this year. People continue to need help, and we give it, but we're up well over $2 grand in just that one week, and a whole lot more before and since. 

I can juggle for now, but I've got to find it again somewhere. Part of my work involves me reorganizing the Web site and then promoting the hell out of everything again. That's on top of all the other work I need to do around here, and I have been mostly useless, largely due to the recent flurry of episodes with my health. For every episode, it takes me multiple days to recover, all while hoping that another one doesn't set me back even further. That's not good. Too many people need help, and the government remains determined to see us die. There's work to do. This is why I've had to stop doing some things; there are just not enough hours in the day anymore, and I've got to make it all of this up somewhere. So:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities are LaminaSaver for Miika & metal/glass cleaners);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

And if you've been contemplating a purchase? This would be a very, very good time to do it; I've got to make up this staggering outlay somehow. There's even new work, here and here and now here, among other new pieces from 3 weeks ago, too, so please watch for them and share the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2021; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.   

Monday Photo Meditation: A Moment for Contemplation

Photo copyright Wings, 2021; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a photo meditation for a Monday at the outset of official spring, the hardest, harshest, most hectic season of the year. It's a reminder, too, to take our cues from the raptors, to make space for solitude, to set aside a moment for contemplation, to remember to make room for prayer and respite for the spirit.

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. With the economy dead courtesy of a year's worth of uncontrolled pandemic, we are still going to need to make consistent sales to make it through the season (one that has already been bitter indeed for our communities) and the rest of the year, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2021; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.  

Should have been the tip-off.

Photo copyright Aji, 2021; all rights reserved.

A little iridescence in yesterday's skies, which should have been the tip-off. Today, it's all vicious winds, with [allegedly] five days of snow showers to come. Even on warm sunny days, those clouds mean a change in the weather.

Visitors yesterday, ranging from one of our dearest friends in the whole wide world, masked and socially distanced, because we had not seen her in person in far more than just this year of pandemic. That was the greatest gift of the first day of spring. It hit 65 yesterday, the light was gorgeous from dawn to dusk, the northern harrier returned to hunt, and while we were outside visiting with our friend, our mated pair of red-tails heard our voices and came over to skree and circle and say hello.

I did get quite a lot done yesterday, too, but today has not been nearly so productive. This coming week is going to be slammed, weather or no weather, and the next three weeks or so will be more of the same. I have to get to work this week anyway on organizing our taxes and a bunch of other stuff for the year to come. The delay on the freezer (and they charged us a FORTUNE this time around for delivery) means delaying our inquiry into Pojoaque's bison program (or any real meat purchases at all right now) and see how much it will cost to buy a share of a buffalo. Early research suggests around ~$2K, so we may need to crowdfund that. The thing about it is that it won't feed only us; it'll get shared with other folks.

Also, last Sunday, we submitted an application to the state for a grant that, if we're lucky enough to get it, will cover about 2/3 of the cost of the well we have to drill as soon as possible ("as soon as possible" being months in the offing yet, because $15K total for the whole operation, and also they're booked for several months already). And then there's Wings's hearing aids, because I think he's finally convinced that we need to make the investment. I'm going to need to set up PayPal pools to fund them, absent making a whole bunch of sales now. It's endless, and I am so tired just thinking about it.

We need sales. Sales, sales, SALES.

The last couple of years have required us to dig deep and ante up to help others at a level we've never done before. This year? The first two and a half months of 2021? Has already buried that. But as I said about that being why we do what we do, especially now in these days of pandemic, it's become abundantly clear that too often, there IS NO tomorrow, and the only chance you might have to help someone stay alive is TODAY. Things are bad locally; no economy, nothing. No vaccines for most folks dependent on the state system, either. We have lost SO much to 2020 (and already in 2021), so very, very many people, and the gifts and the talents and the knowledge and the wisdom they carried too often lost with them. People have needed so much more help than we could give them, but we did as much as we could, even when it put us in a bind, and we will need to do much more of that this year. People continue to need help, and we give it, but we're up well over $2 grand in just that one week, and a whole lot more before and since. 

I can juggle for now, but I've got to find it again somewhere. Part of my work involves me reorganizing the Web site and then promoting the hell out of everything again. That's on top of all the other work I need to do around here, and I have been mostly useless, largely due to the recent flurry of episodes with my health. For every episode, it takes me multiple days to recover, all while hoping that another one doesn't set me back even further. That's not good. Too many people need help, and the government remains determined to see us die. There's work to do. This is why I've had to stop doing some things; there are just not enough hours in the day anymore, and I've got to make it all of this up somewhere. So:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities are LaminaSaver for Miika & metal/glass cleaners);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

And if you've been contemplating a purchase? This would be a very, very good time to do it; I've got to make up this staggering outlay somehow. There's even new work, here and here and now here, among other new pieces from 3 weeks ago, too, so please watch for them and share the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2021; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.   

Between the Smoke and the Light

Photo copyright Aji, 2021; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a personal favorite from one of Wings's signature series, one that captures the shapes and shades of the season, infused with the spirit of medicine. It's a work to remind us, too, where that medicine may be found, even on the hard days: in prayer and in gratitude, in the illuminating power of dreams and the work, in the spaces between the smoke and the light.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We are still going to need to make consistent sales to make it through March and the rest of this terrible, pandemic-ridden winter into spring (one that has already been bitter indeed for our communities), as well as the rest of the year, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2021; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.