President Zelensky - I am so sorry of what happened to you in Washington

 Three years ago Russia brutally invaded your country and since then the Democratic countries supported you and helped you.  I was appalled at what I saw on the news regarding how you were treated so disrespectfully in Washington.  I have and continue to be in awe of how you have led your country under such horrible conditions.  Russia today is probably celebrating but they may be celebrating too soon because you are strong and determined and have stood proud,  having endured so much.  I know Canada will continue to stand with you because we believe in democracy and a free world.  I have spoken to many Ukranian people here in Toronto and I have respected all for their courage and determination.  May God help you to endure all you have to suffer during these unpredicatable times.  I stand with Ukraine.  You kept saying thank you and I heard you, but it is I who thank you because you are standing up to Dictatorship.  

From an ordinary citizen 

Silva Redigonda 

Thoughts of the Week - Rob Ford congrats for winning 3rd election/ Niagara Falls

 It's been a busy week, but most beneficial.  I wasn't sure if I would be able to vote because I couldn't get out of the drive due to the mountains of snow which has not been cleared by the city. - bad city.  However, nature wanted me to vote, so it rained and rained and warmed up just so I could get out, which meant I could vote.  I belong to St Paul's riding and this year the Liberals won first spot which they losed to the NDP last time.  Conservatives came last.  But Rob won overall with a majority and so I may just get free go train service as a Vet.  Time will tell.  I have been thinking a lot about Niagara Falls and have selected two spots of interest.  One is a condo in Chippawa.  Now Chippawa is part of the City of Niagara Falls.  With this particular place there are stairs galore from the ground to the second, but I was told I could put in a chair lift.  The only reason I would consider it is because the location is cute.  I can just walk across the bridge for my coffee and in the summer I can drink it sitting at the picnic tables overlooking the river.   I can watch Niagara's Falls fireworks from my small balcony (it looks small).  There is a parkette across from my condo with a gazebo where there is music during the summer.  Looking out of a window I can see the clock of the closed Town Hall.  No it is not Rockwell, it is Chippawa where James Cameron (Titanic) hails from.  Very cute.  Now during late March I will have about three free  hours in Niagara FAlls where I can look at houses so if it is still on the Market I may just put in an offer, depending on those stairs.  Can I grow old in there?  Don't know.  But there is a shop next door that sells flowers, a grocery store (which doesn't seem to have anything vegetarian) a hair salon, a pet grooming service, a veterinarian and more.  Eventually, I would like a doggie.  I would be able to cross the bridge and walk along the river to the Falls.  But that is about four kilometers away.  I love water.  So, the house looks like a recent development, is also cute with a basement apartment and main floor space for me.  It has a gazebo in the backyard and enough parking for two.  I would need a car for anything and everything.  That does not appeal to me.  However, I know people want to visit me and it is better since I hail from Toronto which has a lot of people.  So, lots to think about.  If you are thinking about buying a house, please go see it first.  Sometimes pictures are so deceiving.  A house can look big and surprise, it's not (remember my first trip?).  An offer was placed on that house I liked near the river.  I don't know yet what the offer is and if it was accepted so I am curious of course.  Oh that small town also has a cute white library nearby.  As you can see, I like cute.  It also has a Catholic Church - nice.  So, I'm good.  Let's wait and see what happens.  In March I plan to socialize a lot due to my being snowed in so much.   Please have a wonderful weekend.  Ensure you balance your life.  We need people and we need a safe place.  Find a space for yourself, where you can be yourself.  Surround your self with caring people who accept you as you are.  There are many people in the States now losing their jobs.  People can identify themselves with their work and when that is lost, there may be a sense of loss of identity of self.  This may be a good time to ask the question, "Who am I?"  The way this is being done right now in the State may cause moral injury.  I wrote of it before along with PTSD, so I won't repeat myself.  If you are new here, you can search at the top and it should appear for you.  Find relaxation in music, art, dance, etc.....Anyhow, have a wonderful weekend.  What do you think? 

T-buds Tea Lounge and Cafe - I love their classical Tea

 I treated myself (still snowed in with my sad car) this weekend with a delivery of my Classical Tea.  Their High Tea includes more but it also contains meat.  They are now delivered by uber eats.  But going in person is worth the experience.  T Buds is situated on the East side of the Road, North of Lawrence on Yonge Street.  You need to find parking on the street.  You also need to be able to climb the stairs to the second floor and it brings you into a small but well used space.   The husband and wife team are from Pakistan, a delightful couple.  They have lived in Canada for 13 years and it is wonderful to have them.  Now I am not a tea drinker so they did bring me coffee.  Their speciality is tea and I was educated on their expertise.  There are mega canisters of various teas to offer

customers.  I was brought champagne (non alcoholic) tea and it was wonderful and refreshing.  If you stop in Toronto, I recommend you go and attend this fine gem.  If you are living in Toronto, please check it out and support our small businesses.  www.t-buds.com

Update on move to Niagara Falls

Well, I guess it is not happening, not now. The owner of the house I wanted well, she wanted more money once again. But what was most concerning is that once again, she removed the clause that there was no known problems with the mechanics of the house "to her knowledge". Since she removed this clause for a third time, I believe there probably is a problem with the house and she knows it, thus making this house a concern. I had already offered her money at the high end of what the house is worth. I had told my agent the night before I increased the price once again and put the clause back in, that if the owners were going to counter offer again, that was it. I do not play games. My agent asked if it was ok that the owner's agent sent me an email with the agent giving that info. NO. The agent is not the owner so what can the agent possibly say? My agent said that I was free to do two inspections even three of the house. NO. Now why would I do that? If an inspector is qualified, why would I need two or three more? That does not make sense to me. Also, I need to pay for the inspector. She said that this is how things are done? Really? Games? Why? Not me. That wasn't the only problem. With this particular house the furnace and central air are rented. It costs just below 200.00 a month to rent and if they pay it off, it will be a small fortune. Also, with whom they are renting from, they normally put a lien on the house. I would want proof that they own the furnace and central air. If I buy the house than these problems becomes my problem. Even though you cannot sell a house with a lien on it, what I have learned is that no matter what the laws are if there is no enforcement, than you are stuck with lawyers and court costs. Too much drama, too many problems and so I have to let this go. I will be watching this house and am sure that there will continue to be problems and that they won't get my offer any time in the future. The property will sit, unless the homeowner takes care of the problems. They still won't get what they are asking for. Greed is something, isn't it? Now, some learning curves. It has been a long time, since I was searching for a house. My agent said that I should be prepared spending 100,000 for the process of buying a house. Say what? Ok, lawyer fees, but what I wasn't expecting were the taxes that have come to light. Of course, we are always being taxed to death. I didn't know that the percentage of realestate fees now have HST. I didn't realize that Toronto has double the transfer tax of any other property in Ontario. Come on! So what am I going to do now? I haven't given up totaly on NIagara Falls, but it is obvious that houses near the falls have problems. What I didn't tell you the last time we talked was the shady renovations I saw. My dad was a bricklayer who took pride in his work. Whenever we went walking about the city he would point out sloppy work to me. I owe my work ethics to him. I know about the rental of appliances etc...and liens to the houses because of Market Place. That is the show where I sometimes post a video for you to make you aware. I shall be posting a video soon about how corporations are taking over veterinarian clinics and I urge you to watch the program if you have a pet. Whenever you do any work which causes stress make sure that you balance yourself. As you saw I was busy during the day but relaxed by watching nature (the falls), movies and reading books. Even though I stayed at Fallsview, I never gambled once. I was there simply for the view. Not that I gamble anyhow. If I do in company, 20.00 is all I bet and it hurts when I lose, so I am safe. Something else to be aware of is never feel pressured into doing anything you do not want to do. One woman once told me that the only place she feels in control of herself is when she is in a booth voting. That is the only place she can feel free to do what she wants. How sad. This was a random stranger telling me this. This is not all that uncommon, people feeling they have to do what other people expect from them and they suffer because of not being able to say no. If you are one of these people and don't know how to say no, please get some help. Anyhow, let me tell you a story about my Miata. During my second career I was searching for a new car. It had to be a convertible. I chose the Miata. I would be given one price and than a higher one etc...So I sent out six faxes (at the time) telling each dealership what I wanted and asking for a price. I went to one dealership and after driving the car and really wanting it, I was told that the price was higher than what we negotiated on. Before going to the next dealer, I called and said I didn't want to waste my time, so if the price was not as quoted tell me now. The salesman said of course he couldn't give it to me (the price he had quoted). So, what I did was call the factory where they made the cars. I told them that I really liked the Miata and told them why I wasn't going to buy the car. I get a call back a bit later and I am told to go to Richmond Hill and that the Manager was expecting me and I would not have any problems. I went and in fifteen minutes I had bought a Miata from her, which would be coming from Europe. When I bought me last car (times have changed so I buy used)I was told it was the last car they were selling made in Germany. Everything else now was made in Mexico. I just made it. So, all this game playing people is being done, because we tolerate it. This is the way it is done my agent told me. It's not my way. I took the highway - actually I took the scenic tour home. Buy for now. Good talk?. Oh by the way, if the owners did reach out to me and showed proof of ownership, and agreed to my clause, I would consider it and take it furnished for the grief. I do love that house - minus scary basement.

Moving to Niagara Falls???? The trials and tribulation of a house search in Niagara Falls www.silvaredigonda.myshopify.com

Oh wow...... a mixture of emotions aside from the threats from Donaldo Trump. I spent about three days searching for a house in Niagara so let me share. This is what I wanted. A garage, a front porch, finished basement apartment and bungalow. Location, location, location - a priority - walk to falls each day. I left the day before I was to meet with my agent. I drove directly to the house I believed had it all, except that it had another floor or half a floor. There was some school nearby which didn't warm me, but it was a good location for finding everything I would need like a hair salon, coffee shops etc.....My motivation a walk to the falls. I thought it checked most of my check list. I parked in the driveway and noticed that the adjacent drive did not lead to my possible backyard but to an entry for another house, beyond my back yard. Talk about being hard to find that home. It had just sold. Good luck on skip the dishes finding you. Not as enthused about the house as I was, I wanted to give it a chance. I was sure everything else would work out and I would love it. The day next the house was my first to explore. What looked like a well formed house, turned to be a house for an elf. The kitchen couldn't hold a normal size fridge and that kitchen would have worked in the basement but not as my main. The upstairs bedrooms were tiny and I don't think my bed would fit inside. The basement - well, tiny, tiny, tiny and there was no way a kitchen would fit and the bedroom - well maybe a double bed if it was inflatable. What a disappointed. But wait, my agent said she didn't think my car would fit inside garage. Ok, next........The next two days was a constant from 10:00 to 3pm checking one house after another with no breaks including lunch. Some houses I just said no before even going inside, usually because of all the high voltage structures which of course were not depicted on MLS. What I do when I search is then do another search to look at the area and there is where you spot what they don't want you to see. All the houses I saw were from 50 -100 years old to 150 years old except one which was 30. That house was cute but it had four levels. The owner was there and she told me that she saw how I walked and the house was not for me, much to the dismay of my agent who never heard an owner say that before. There are always firsts, that is how we learn and grow. As you know I have been having difficulty with my legs which Veteran Affairs is investigating to see if it is related to my 20 years of service. Actually, I thought I was doing pretty well. I have improved which is positive for me. My physiotherapist has told me there is no structural damage and I can really cut down seeing him - all positive. No one is encouraging me to go back to the gym, so I just do my exercises and walk - it's all good. But almost each house that I was at, had no snow or ice removed and my agent was slip sliding away in fromt of me. So me thinks I did pretty good. Back to houses. The houses I saw looked old and tired even though the owners did their best to make it look nice. One had a small dog named Jelly Bean (not the singer of course) which I was hoping to see and Jelly Bean was supposed to be home, but wasn't. Another hopeful house with a lovely backyard had a dead mouse in the basement. "You don't want to see the rest of house?" Guess what I said. "NO". The basements - God almighty. I took a glimpse of one which looked like a cave literally. Actually a cave looks nicer. That was the top of the staircase looking down into nothingness - next. The basements were mostly of what may be seen in a horror movie. One basement had a moat containing a moat of water circling around the entire basement with one side having massive aluminum rings. Pass. My agent was trying to figure out what it was for. Don't care. Pass. I told my agent that my own house was starting to look better all the time. After the second day my agent told me she had no more houses to show me and would I consider a condo or living in Chippawa? Now Chippawa is a place people from Niagara always recommend when I talk to them, mainly because they live there. It's nice and quiet. Well speak about quiet. I don't think my stay could have been quieter. River Road and Clifton was bare of people. Is this Trumps doing? Are Americans afraid to come over the border because Canadians are booing them at the games? I don't agree with that. Americans are our friends and family and Trump does not represent all Americans. Many disapprove especially his attack on us. I'll save him for another day. I don't like what you are doing Trump. Aw Dictatorship is the making - watch and learn how it is done. Anyhow, the house search was not fun. Also, a few had tenants in it and that for me is an automatic pass. I will never be responsible for people being forced out of their homes. I told my agent that I had considered condos but they had to be close to the falls, have a pool and no pet restrictions. I guess they don't have that. They do have a trailor Park, Dave's. I took a drive around and a fellow vet nodded as I drove around. Of course I did the same. Dave's Trailor Park seems like an easy fix. They don't want Niagara residents and is cheap. I could use it something of a cottage. It has a pool and is pet friendly. It is far from the Falls. So I was just about to resign myself that there was no place in Niagara Falls for me, when my agent all excited told me that a house had just come on the market and she was eager to show me. She said it was closer to the Falls than my first hopeful house. At this point I didn't expect much and was trying to please her more than actually thinking I would care for the house. She is a nice person and spent so much time trying to find something. Ok, we drove to the place and yes, location - great. It is about 2 km or less on my meter and about three houses from River Road. Ok, check. It has a porch - check. I can sit and look at River Road gorge. Open door - I am in love. The house is airy and bright and open and it has a bathroom on the main floor for guests and (clients). It has a beautiful kitchen with a lovely walkout to the yard. It has stairs but they take breaks to the second floor where there are three large bedrooms etc......Basement? Nightmare city of course. If it was the first house I saw I would probably have to pass. But, after days of checking out basements what made this one scary is how narrow the stair case is. I decided that I didn't want to go down there ever again as long as I shall live. What did I do? I put in a conditional offer, than we got a counter offer and I said that is it. No more counter offers take it or leave it. So they have until 8pm to respond. I do love the house. It looks like a happy house and not gloomy and dark. So, if the owner who uses it as a B&B wants to play more game it is game over. I will take a break and re-examine what I want. If it is not this house, I probably won't make the move to Niagara. People don't seem to shovel their properties. We shovel our properties in Toronto people. If we don't the city will and send us a bill. I can't believe that the majority of houses seen didn't have their property cleared of snow when they are trying to sell it. Talking about basements - one house had two basements with two different doors leading to them. The agents selling that house couldn't explain why or what the? They hadn't been there in six months? A lot of empty houses which Niagara can tax like they do here and get some money, plus give people a place to live. My evenings were spent relaxing in my room on the 16th floor looking out at the beautiful scenery. When watching television, I would see the yellow elevators of the tower move up and down throughout the night. The Ferris Wheel stops around 11:00. The Niagara Resort is expensive but the falls???? It is worth the experience. Late at night someone from the yellow elevator moving upwards shone a light into my room. I am not the scenery. You think you can lay on a bed fully clothed on the 16th floor? Nope, appears not. Wish me luck. If I don't get this house, it is probably a pass for Niagara. My objective was to be able to take a walk to the Falls, but I can't look at another spooky basement. I have posted a few photos from my room.

basement.

Update on Moving to Niagara Falls

It has been busy, exciting etc..... I have checked out houses galore on MLS and the possibility of a move this spring/summer seems to be in the cards. I have removed my name from the Toronto Island List and that is indicitive of my seriousness. I now have an agent representing me in Niagara as well as one in Toronto. I will be able to keep my cell phone (business number) and hopefully my home phone number (private) as well. The house I had been interested in sold before I got to see it with the new agent. The agent with the attitude there, sold his listing for less than what I was willing to pay and he knew it. The homeowners never even knew. Attitude should never get in the way of business. He didn't want me to do an inspection of the house, nor conditional. His and the owners' loss. Now, my eyes are on a house that has been in the market for a while. I won't tell you what it is, just in case you buy it first. I will tell you this, I would be surrounded by B&Bs, and I am ok with that. I just may post a sign that I am selling my books. I have to figure out the rules of Niagara Falls first. This search will also be a mini holiday for me. I like looking at houses and what better than in Niagara. That's all for today. Valentine's Day is quickly arriving so don't forget to buy your loved one a nice treat!

Writer's Corner (notes) www.silvaredigonda.myshopify.com

I have been ignoring my books - Colpa Mia. Let’s take a break from what is happening in the world and talk books. What I do when I complete writing my book is mail it via registered mail to myself. I do this so if any company claims the book is theirs, I have proof that I had it before they got their hands on it. Or you can copy write it. People like spending less. Bundle is appealing to promote your book. Doing events, book signing, hair salons, dog salons, book clubs is to name some. Book clubs like questions (my bad. I have no questions.) Facebook (minimum). It is hard to set ourselves apart. Hard covers are 2 1/2 more costly and not practical. You should be making at least a dollar a book profit. Market local book stores, local libraries, local colleges. Take note that if you have a contract that states "make available to bookstores"

, it means catalogue only (not physically). Don’t be fooled by language. Make sure you keep rights to your book. Under traditional publishers you retain rights. Regarding editors - pick three at once because there are time lines for editors. Check your budget. Some charge pages, or paragraphs etc….Pick someone who cares about your project. Many books that are very good, never become successful, because there are so many books. There are so many scams out there. You must have a contract. What are they delivering?