I want to apologize to all those I haven't gotten back to and to those customers who haven't gotten their orders yet. I am trying hard to fill all the orders and reply back to people. It has been a rough month since coming home from what was a wonderful Anthrocon. Since then I spent time in the hospital for a severe digestive issue(now cleared up), my 82 year old mom has been in the hospital twice for pneumonia and I honestly though I would lose her, they had to treat her with antibiotics they usually use for MRSA. There are some other bills and repairs that would have most people tearing their hair out but at this time I have grown numb.
My mother has been watching me and is worried that I am not well. I now have had a couple of other people tell me the same, that they think I am heading or am in midst of breakdown. As with most things it is hard to realize it yourself but easy for others to see.
I am not sure what to do. all I know is I have to keep pushing to finish orders and complete work for mother and home.
I want to apologize to all for everything.

Thankfully I didn't need surgery but now need to rest and try to catch up, I'm already behind on inventory for website so I can re open it.

Thank you to all the well wishers, it brought me comfort while I was sitting in hospital bed wondering what was wrong with my gut.

Everything is pushed back a week or so. Apparently I have a partial intestinal blockage and may need surgery. Yay lucky me

Well Anthrocon is over, the den cleaned up and I am lounging in my room with a well earned drink. I had another record setting experience with sales nearly double last years. With over 17,600 attendees, over 3300 fur suiters in the parade, and over 100,000 in charity donations this was the best convention in the country.
I want to thank everyone who stopped by and bought stuff and chatted with us. I especially want to thank the fine people who helped out this year,  chakatthriceborn ,  gildedtongue ,  ruathan ,  sethtriggs without whom I could never have done this show.
I'm gonna take a week to rest and do inventory before re opening the website.

Wow it was non stop action. I want to thank everyone who stopped by to see us and who bought stuff. the day 1 sales total almost hit last years 3 day total by itself. I want to apologize to anyone I didn't get a chance to talk to, hopefully we can chat tomorrow. The business was so furious that my credit card terminal actually started to over heat and even had to be rebooted once. I had not expected that.
I am looking forward to Saturday and what wonders it may bring

PS the Chocolate Moonshine stand is evil, dropped 90.00 there and didn't come close to all i wanted. I can already hear my doctor screaming across Pa.

We are at the 6 week period until Anthrocon and I have been working hard to have things prepared. Unfortunately one project I want to have is not going to be ready this year so there will be a surprise next year (or on the webstore). However I will be offering my usual special for those coming to Anthrocon. If there is anything on the website you would like I can bring it to Anthrocon, I will refund shipping after checkout. I can also hold copies of DKtorzi's 2 exclusive books but unfortunately I cannot hold any acrylic standees due to how limited they are. if they sell out quickly I will try to see if I can get another batch done to sell on the website.

https://www.furaffinity.net/view/56577643/ chakats

https://www.furaffinity.net/view/56577586/ loona and amelia

https://www.furaffinity.net/view/56577561/ Clowder omnibus and Oasis Black books

I will also have a selection of American comics since my pal and popular comic dealer M&T comics isn't going to be there ( I might be only one with comics this year).

Also I will have a large selection of Fanzines and folios from 1980's to 2010's, they are growing in popularity due to scarcity ( a lot of these only had print runs of 25-100 copies and I have even found some I didn't know about).

The comics and fanzines I will try to have updated on website before show but unfortunately I won't be able to update dojins due to amount of work translating titles and tremendous backlog of them (really there will be a lot)

If you have any questions please ask, I will be happy to try to answer them.

I need to post some updates and pictures but for those who don't want to wait I refer you to DKtorzi's post which also covers it
https://www.furaffinity.net/journal/10861768/

Anthrocon plans are going well . I have been accepted for the dealers den and for 3 tables to boot. Yes 24 feet of tables and I will need all of it as it is looking like I will have around 45 boxes of merchandise, to put that in perspective I can get 18 boxes per table. I will have more than just Japanese dojins this year as my friend at M&T comics wasn't chosen and he basically was the only one who carried older American comics so I will have American comics also in addition to many older fanzines from the early days of the fandom. I am hoping to have all of it online by June so everyone can have a preview of what will be available at the show.

I have to admit I was very surprised when I saw that the hotels were sold out in under 10 minutes, which is insane. I think it took a couple of weeks last year to sell them out, so this could be a sign that this could be a massive show.

Now to the surprise I mentioned. There is a chance that among the valued assistants I will have may be a well known artist who I think, not sure, but think has not been to an American furry con before. When I get an ok that they can come I'll let everyone know. I personally am super excited at the chance to have them join us as they are a favorite of mine and I also know how hard it is to get their merchandise in the US.

All in all I feel this may be the best convention ever.

yeah 2024 has really been horrible for me thus far. I would like to go back please.
Things were starting to look up at end of 2023, website sales picked up and I was making good progress on updates. Then Jan 1 the wheels fell off. I ended 2023 and started 2024 with 4 days of no heat because of problems with water heater, which was running radiant heat system. got a reliable outfit in to fix and they started finding problems, first the pressure regulator in my incoming water line was bad, they measured my pressure at 125psi and it should have been 75-80 psi so that caused problems. They got to fixing that and looked at my other system which I thought was just AC but turned out to be a heat pump. The whole system was not in great shape and not only that they found mold in the ductwork from the blower, they showed me a picture it was just not mold but so thick it looked like moss. They told me they could fix mold and get system working but it would be 6000.00 and they couldn't guarantee system would stay running for a long time. I made decision to replace whole thing with a good system that had extra purifiers (my 82 year old mother has COPD) . That along with plumbing repair set me back 20000.00. I found out then that my favorite Aunt had very aggressive breast cancer and was having super bad reactions to chemo. as this was weighing upon me I went to a specialist for neuropathy in my feet as I was having bad problems. After a bunch of testing the doctor told me how bad it was, that it was so bad I was coming close to having my feet amputated. Which made me feel wonderful because there was a poster in room that said people who have an amputation because of this on average die within 1-2 years. I opted for the treatments of course but it set me back 10000.00 and is not covered by insurance so now only a week into Jan. and I am down 30000.00. I am like what else can happen, which was stupidest thing I could say, as a week later I find out that my Aunt with cancer's son, my cousin who was suffering from bad depression, accidentally killed himself after he fell off the wagon.
That crushed me as I should have seen the signs in his facebook postings but I wasn't checking facebook at the time due to other crap going on. I saw it afterwards as I have been there before but I was too late. It was too much. I broke down. For a few days I couldn't get out of bed and rarely ate. I stared at the wall for hours and let my duties to the website lapse. I was really hoping I just wouldn't wake up.
I've been slowly climbing back thanks mainly to my friend  chakatthriceborn Chakat Thriceborn who was willing to listen to me and make me realize that I had to go on. To my customers who placed orders and got their items delivered very late I know this is no excuse, I only hope I can somehow make it up to them for their patience.
Depression is no joke, I have been taking meds for it for years but they don't always work as evidenced by my Jan. It's not easy seeking help due to stigma attached to it but if you can't get professional help try to at least have a friend who listens to you and doesn't judge, it goes a long way.
I am sorry for rambling I just thought that if I get this out it may help a bit.

I will be making a much more upbeat journal soon dealing with Anthrocon 2024 and some possible nice surprises that may happen. Until then everyone try to be well.

yeah 2024 has really been horrible for me thus far. I would like to go back please.
Things were starting to look up at end of 2023, website sales picked up and I was making good progress on updates. Then Jan 1 the wheels fell off. I ended 2023 and started 2024 with 4 days of no heat because of problems with water heater, which was running radiant heat system. got a reliable outfit in to fix and they started finding problems, first the pressure regulator in my incoming water line was bad, they measured my pressure at 125psi and it should have been 75-80 psi so that caused problems. They got to fixing that and looked at my other system which I thought was just AC but turned out to be a heat pump. The whole system was not in great shape and not only that they found mold in the ductwork from the blower, they showed me a picture it was just not mold but so thick it looked like moss. They told me they could fix mold and get system working but it would be 6000.00 and they couldn't guarantee system would stay running for a long time. I made decision to replace whole thing with a good system that had extra purifiers (my 82 year old mother has COPD) . That along with plumbing repair set me back 20000.00. I found out then that my favorite Aunt had very aggressive breast cancer and was having super bad reactions to chemo. as this was weighing upon me I went to a specialist for neuropathy in my feet as I was having bad problems. After a bunch of testing the doctor told me how bad it was, that it was so bad I was coming close to having my feet amputated. Which made me feel wonderful because there was a poster in room that said people who have an amputation because of this on average die within 1-2 years. I opted for the treatments of course but it set me back 10000.00 and is not covered by insurance so now only a week into Jan. and I am down 30000.00. I am like what else can happen, which was stupidest thing I could say, as a week later I find out that my Aunt with cancer's son, my cousin who was suffering from bad depression, accidentally killed himself after he fell off the wagon.
That crushed me as I should have seen the signs in his facebook postings but I wasn't checking facebook at the time due to other crap going on. I saw it afterwards as I have been there before but I was too late. It was too much. I broke down. For a few days I couldn't get out of bed and rarely ate. I stared at the wall for hours and let my duties to the website lapse. I was really hoping I just wouldn't wake up.
I've been slowly climbing back thanks mainly to my friend  thriceborn Chakat Thriceborn who was willing to listen to me and make me realize that I had to go on. To my customers who placed orders and got their items delivered very late I know this is no excuse, I only hope I can somehow make it up to them for their patience.
Depression is no joke, I have been taking meds for it for years but they don't always work as evidenced by my Jan. It's not easy seeking help due to stigma attached to it but if you can't get professional help try to at least have a friend who listens to you and doesn't judge, it goes a long way.
I am sorry for rambling I just thought that if I get this out it may help a bit.

I will be making a much more upbeat journal soon dealing with Anthrocon 2024 and some possible nice surprises that may happen. Until then everyone try to be well.

Added a bunch of original artwork and some prints and dojins to my dealers den auction site listing. most can be found here https://www.thedealersden.com/categ.....;agree_adult=1
most of these pieces are 20 years old and unfortunately I don't remember who most are but now is your chance to get some classic original art cheap

Some Pokemon updates this time with more to come.

find them in https://www.windshearswares.com/newarrivals/

I am finally getting a more regular updating schedule going, if I keep at this pace I may get all the backlog on the site by easter ( yes I have that much product waiting to be processed )

and don't forget our site wide sale, use ' christmas2023 ' for 15% off your total purchase

We will be having a Christmas sale starting now through December 26. Use the code christmas2023  for 15% off your total order. windshearswares.com .

and look for more updates soon, next up is Pokemon books....and lots of them.

my health is giving me a small break (pains have been manageable lately) so I have been able to catch up with home life and start doing more regular updates. I have a lot of stuff backlogged, figure it will still take me a few months to finally get everything processed and listed but I have got a start so that's something. you can find a bunch of new stuff on this link-- https://www.windshearswares.com/newarrivals/ .
Christmas is coming up and I am planning to do some kind of sale, keep watching for an update on that.

use code cybermonday23 at checkout to receive 10% off your total purchase good on Monday Nov 27 2023 at windshearswares.com

We can also be found now on the social site BlueSky at chakatwindshear.bsky.social

Ok it's been a while since I just looked at life and not just business. I've got the website up and running again, now it is time to do a little focusing on my health.

I've been doing a lot of contemplating recently. I am in a lot of pain physically, mentally I have never been too stable but some of those dark thought have been creeping back with the physical pain and I don't like that. I've also realized that a bunch of my problems both physical and mental are due to my rising weight. I am having another spinal issue, this will be number 4, and I don't see them stopping unless I do something about my weight. I can barely walk due to my legs feeling like they will collapse and when I do walk it is not very far before I start wheezing and I don't like the wheezing, another sign of a problem. I can't even sit long due to the pain in my thighs caused by the nerve in my lower spine being compressed. and I can't even sleep without a leg wedge, if I try to sleep flat on my back I am up all night in intense pain.

I have made the tough decision to have bariatric surgery. I have never liked the idea before because food is one of the very few things that make me happy and I know I will have to give up a lot once this is done. But I have also come to realize I won't have any food if this kills me or how much misery I will have if I can no longer walk and have this constant pain. I've seen a lot of journals from others about problems and all of us seem to have to have literally needed to have had some kind of wake up call before we actually act. I'm having mine now, pain is a wonderful motivator. So after this to lose weight ( and probably spine operation number 4 since damage is already done) I am hoping my mental state improves also.

I do have a lot to keep me busy in taking care of my house, taking care of 2 cats and an 81 year old mother (who does a lot better than most any other 81 year old even after just having a kidney taken out, thank god she can still do most everything by herself yet). This along with running a website that is badly in need of having new items added to it (I have literally 10 boxes of Japanese dojins and 3 boxes of American comics to add along with a bunch of fanzines and other items.), 2 auction sites I want to put a bunch of original art on to ( dealers den and fur forge) and dammit it is football season ( Go Penn State Nittany Lions and Dallas Cowboys woooo! ) I actually have a man cave downstairs to relax and watch football in and I'm gonna do it. Hell, reading that back when you add in doctors visits I don't know where I'll get the time to do it all.

Most of all this years Anthrocon was great, it's the only show I do and I very much want to be sure I can keep doing it for years to come. I have some great friends who help me there with the stand and I enjoy meeting many of the fans of dojins and every other furry that stops to say hello. I would like to do it without being in a wheelchair.

I'm 56 and legally disabled. I never thought my career would end like this, I always thought I would be doing my job till 67 and then retire. I have always done most everything by myself and been able to give help to others. I never thought I would be at a point of needing others just to do simple things, especially not in my 50's. This, I have come to realize, is the source of a lot of my mental and emotional pain, being useless. I need to fix that, come to terms with my life or one day one of those darks thoughts won't just be a thought and there is no coming back after that, it's final.

Enough of the depressing journal, sorry it was so long but I think I needed to get some of it out. Things are going to get better, I am going to make them better....or else.

Hey everyone it's finally happened. The Windshears Wares website is open again for business. our inventory is updated and new items are already beginning to be added to stock. Make sure to stop by and see if there is anything you'd like before it's gone.
www.windshearswares.com

I just started a new discord server for the Windshear's wares website. All are welcome, if interested just note me for an invite link.
what the heck, here is the link lets see what happens
https://discord.gg/cNSUJXa3

It is over and what a show it was. Over 13000 attendees were announced. We have packed and are relaxing finally. It was a record setting convention for us and I thank all our customers for that. I want to also thank a lot Chakat Thriceborn and Seth Triggs for all the extensive help they gave. It was great and I am looking forward to next year.

We have managed to survive day 2.......barely. business was extremely brisk and we hardly had any lulls. Needless to say it has been an incredible con we are already past last year's total with still another day to go. We have enjoyed meeting everyone and look to seeing everyone again for our last day.

We are on our way, can't wait to see everyone there, It's going to be a blast.

just posted more auctions on Furbuy and there is more than just Japanese doujinshi up now. I have started with some classic prints and will soon be putting more up, including a large pile of original artwork most all of which has not been for sale before. I was looking in some drawers in an old cabinet and came across a pile of artwork that I forgot about. A lot of it hasn't seen the light of day for 20 years. I decided to put it up so they can find loving homes with the next generation of collectors or even with the few dedicated archivists of our furry history. you can find it at https://www.furbuy.com/seller/jbipp.html

Anthrocon is soon here, I'll be heading out on Wed June 28 so I can meet up with room mates and relax before big set up starts Thursday. I will have so much stuff it will blow your minds. I am starting to regret not getting 3 8 foot tables.

got my first few auctions up on Furbuy, you can find them here at https://www.furbuy.com/seller/jbipp.html . more will be planned in the next few days and a lot more after Anthrocon

as of tonite it is back up and running at https://www.furbuy.com/ . While this site is a quickly thrown up version from 2017 it is still the good old site that many of us were able to successfully buy and sell on. and while we can use the present site as of now the admin is working to put up a more modernized version sometime soon in the future, one that I have seen test versions of and it was great. I believe it was even going to have stores on it and I know many people would like that. I know in light of this TDD problem blowing up social media that many buyers and sellers are eager for a good furry auction site that will have more to it than just fursuits. I myself am going to be starting to post items on furbuy and will do many more after Anthrocon.