L.A. Times
If you watched coverage of the Emmys last night and saw Game of Thrones win its award at the end, you saw George R.R. Martin wear a lapel pin whose style might look familiar to you. (He helpfully points it out at right.)
Mr. Martin, my homeboy from New Jersey, has long resided in Santa Fe, NM, relatively near Wings and Aji’s home near Taos. He has a thing for turtles, which he has described in the past in connection with his writing:
Turtles have always been my sigil, I suppose. When I was a kid, growing up in Bayonne, NJ, I lived in a federal housing project, and we were not allowed to have a dog or cats. The only pets I could have were turtles. So, I had an entire toy castle filled with dime-store turtles. I gave them all names, and since they were living in a toy castle, I decided they were all knights and kings...and I made up stories about how they killed each other and betrayed each other and fought for the kingdom. So, Game of Thrones actually began with turtles. I decided later to recast it with actual human beings.
Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised, then, that he commissioned the beautiful piece above by Wings to wear to his big event. And, unlike giant diamonds from Cartier or couture gowns, a commissioned piece from Wings is within reach of many of us. If you’d like to work with Wings on an image of your favorite animal, or otherwise shop with him, including for his photographs, we’ll have details below the fold. And we’ll also have the latest house photos! All we’re seeking from you is, please share!
So, if you’ve been reading this series, you already know that Wings and Aji had their manufactured home repossessed six years ago, when they missed a couple of payments and the lender refused to work with them because he “didn’t have to”. The land is fortunately Wings’ ancestral land, but they have been living in a 30-year-old RV that is not at all designed as a long-term residence for their high-altitude desert climate. They’ve been unable to get far enough ahead to build a real house. After a dangerous electrical fire a year ago, Aji decided they had to get out of that tin can somehow, and she plotted out a series of YouCaring projects to supplement what they could afford to pay out of their normal income stream. The current project is more than 75% funded now, and is allowing a modest house, the first floor adobe brick and the second, frame, to be built on the site of the old house.
Viga crossbeams get a “saddle” cut in them with a chainsaw, so they can be fitted against the viga they abut.
Winter really is coming, there in the high desert — it’s already dropped below freezing at night, days before the actual beginning of autumn. Short of sudden intense interest by George Soros, this house is not going to be completed by this winter. But we’d love to get it closed in as much as humanly possible before it gets too cold for outdoor work and they lose their crew for the season.
We know everyone here is pretty tapped out, and there are many other kossacks who need help, not to mention political candidates. We keep writing, not to squeeze more money out of you all, but to remind you to please keep sharing Wings and Aji’s story through Facebook and Twitter, not to mention your email and in-person networks. If the story starts to spread, many small donations can get the work done and us out of your face. The best way is to directly share their YouCaring page, which has buttons to help you share on social media and to grab the widget at the bottom of this diary that shows the current running total vs. the goal.
BUT IF YOU DO FEEL IN A DONATING MOOD, WE HAVE A MATCHING-FUNDS OFFER FOR THE NEXT $500 DONATED! And if you are not, still a good reason to tell friends! Many thanks to our generous matching-donor!!!
So, here’s more of the work that was going on today:
A view from below of a crossbeam going up.
And from the front.
Backing up a bit, you can see the crossbeam abve the top of the adobe.
HOW TO HELP
- The YouCaring fundraiser allows you to donate specifically to this cause. You can also share the fundraiser via social networks by using the “Grab Our Widget” button (and other social media buttons) on that page.
- Their Amazon wishlist mostly supports the health needs of their rescue animals and themselves, if that’s more your style.
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Purchases from Wings Silverworks will help them make a living the way they’d prefer, by selling Wings’ work as an exceptionally talented NDN silversmith and photographer. Here’s a diary that describes how to browse and buy at Wings’ web gallery, including how to look at available photographs. (Take a look at this gorgeous one today!)
- If you prefer, donate via PayPal at Aji’s blog, or at her Tumblr blog where she posts her own writing and photography.
- Kosmail belinda ridgewood if you absolutely need to donate by mailing a paper check.
- And Tweet, share on FaceBook, tip/rec/republish on Daily Kos, randomly email your friends about it, drop it into casual conversations. This seems minor, but it is not! When you share, please link to this YouCaring page, or embed the widget!
