Never on Sunday...or even Saturday....

This weekend I am attending a workshop at our school....9 to 4 both days....need I say more? Even these bright markers didn't cheer me up!

Three crosses and a gull

A seagull down by the Danube. There appear to be three crosses on this photo, though one is actually the top of the mast of the ship where the seagull is perched. The two real crosses are on Belgrade's main church and patriarchy, which stand across the Danube from where I took the photo.

SKYWATCH and Happy Birthday to my favorite tennis player!

Nope, guess again. My favorite tennis player is on the left. Today is my son's birthday; Novak Djokovic's is in May. This photo was taken at a cancer support group ceremony a while back and Novak was handing out the awards. See my son in action in the second photo on this post.
Happy Birthday, Champ!

And since there's a gorgeous sunset behind these two, check out SKYWATCH FRIDAY to see other skies around the world. And maybe another birthday, who knows?

Look out behind you!

Watch out! Who's that sneaking up on Nikola Pasic? A tall Saudi lady? The Grim Reaper? (No, Nikola Pašić died in 1926.) I'm not quite sure who or what it is, but I'll go back and see when he/she/its has cast aside the black wrap.

Who/ what do YOU think it is?

ABC Wednesday "F" is for "Fashionable"

Is this chic or what? This young woman and her elegant friend were kind enough to post for me the other day downtown. They're both well-dressed for street slush and rain. Who says people don' t resemble their dogs? (But, unlike Bibi, I do not have an underbite!)

Check out more ABC WEDNESDAY right here.

Were you right?

Were you right in guessing 'a mushroom' yesterday? I was playing with my food again. I love mushrooms, all kinds (edible...) and if you would like a killer recipe for the BEST mushroom soup, click right here!

What's this?

Time for a little game! Any ideas what this is? Maybe easy, maybe not.

Answer will be here tomorrow!

Up from the depths...

Terazije (Teh-RAHZ-ee-yeh) Theatre (read more here) is a very popular theater, showing fabulous musicals, for the most part. You can't see its entrance here, but on this large square is the back of the theater, which I'd never really paid attention to before. But look! Up out of the flat stones of the square rises this elevator that loads and unloads heavy props. I was fascinated to see it rise, since I never even knew it existed.

Rain boots?

I think these boots are kind of cute, but not for the icky slush and rain we've been having. Too hairy!

SKYWATCH--still gray...

Are you tired of gray where you live? I am. This is the best I can do this week for SKYWATCH

this week. Click on that link to see prettier skies! The church is one posted a while back, still under construction, slowly but surely.

Does anyone know what this tree is? We used to call them paw-paw trees when I was a kid, but I've Googled that and there's not the same.

If everyone lit just one little candle...

This photo was taken before our major snow, which fortunately is nearly melted now. This man has all sorts of candles for sale, from beeswax ones and votive candle holders to place on a grave to colored paraffin candlesin the colors of the Serbian flag, plus purple and pink, from what I can see. I like the little candle couple in Serbian dress.

ABC Wednesday--"E" is for "Energy Efficient"

Few people own dryers here, opting to dry their clothes on a clothesline in their yard or porch or else draped over radiators indoors. While walking Bibi the other evening in nearly one foot of snow and at -3 Celsius, I came upon these socks put out to dry. I imagine that may happen only next April. I have a dryer, but use it only in the winter (now!) and between midnight and 8 a.m., when electricity is cheapest, to save energy. The owner of these socks is saving energy too, but I hope he has extra pairs inside to wear.

Join ABC WEDNESDAY!

Pink and white is black and white

A bouquet of roses is what my son surprised me with on Valentine's Day. Even though each rose was a lovely mix of pale pink and white, I decided to post this photo in black and white for you.

Make a snowman!

You know the saying, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." Belgrade was given more snow, almost a foot the other day, and so everyone was out making snowmen! Bibi, who's being held by the little girl in the pink snowsuit, loves the snow...

Happy Valentine's Day

Not an original post at all, but definitely appropriate. These hearts are always for sale on Knez Mihailova, Belgrade's pedestrian street. Many of these hearts say "I love you--Love me!" and now that Valentine's Day has caught on here, I'm sure the seller sold a lot.

Chicken and biscuits

Ever since Virginia at Birmingham Daily Photo left a comment on my recent
birthday post about Mamma's Biscuit House sounding "downright southern," I've had a hankering for chicken and biscuits, something Mamma's Biscuit House does NOT do. So here is the result. A southern dish made by a Yankee. Gravy could have been a tad thicker, but it was good!
P.S. Hey! On a whim, I entered a local chain's photo contest on the theme "Hearts are all around us" and won third prize--two tickets to the theater! The entry is the one you just saw two days ago right here.

SKYWATCH--Icy cold lamp post

Icicles hang from this lamp post while a bird heads home in the sky above.

Have a look at other skies through SKYWATCH FRIDAY.

Getting ready for Valentine's Day?

I hope whoever made this has a warmer heart for his or her Valentine!

ABC WEDNESDAY 'D' is for 'Double, dark, and ...desperate'

Finally a little color on my blog. The last two days were pretty black and white, and I guess I'm in the doldrums (another D) and desperate for a photo, since I haven't been shooting too much recently. Anyway, here's a candle for you, with its buddy reflected behind it.

Join ABC WEDNESDAY!

Cross not my path!

A short while back before the snow that now covers our streets, I was downtown strolling around. This black cat, walking with its companion, saw me and headed in my direction with full intention, I am sure, of crossing my path. I did a little dance around it and snapped his photo before he could sneak in front of me.

Are you superstitious? I must admit that I am, just a little.

Trees on tree

I'm really tired of stark trees, cold weather, and snow. I am beginning to understand why people move to warmer climates.... So, since I can't do that, I try to look at starkness differently. Did you notice that these are not really trees, but small branches growing sideways on the trunk of a tree. Tilt your head to the right and look...

Belated birthday cake

Nothing more decadent than a lot of chocolate...and a few marzipan friends. Here is a sample of some cakes that my son and fiancee brought to me on Friday night, since neither could be with me on my actual birthday (Groundhog's Day!). The three of us each got our own marzipan buddy (I got the frog) and shared the rest. There's still some in my refrigerator, but for how long, I'm not sure....

These all come from Belgrade's Mamma's Biscuit House, so if you are in town, hop on down and waddle back. The site I've linked to in Serbian, but if you click on "Mamma's House" and then on one of the options, you'll get lots of photos, which need no translation...

I'm actually saving one of the pieces in my refrigerator for Lily of Long Island Daily Photo, who has a birthday today. Long live Aquarian bloggers!

BIG NOTE! It was originally DARYL who told me she shared a birthday with Lily, so click on Daryl's name and see a really cute post! Sorry, Daryl, that I for a short while forgot your birthday!! :(

Sun on Seltzer

If these look a teeny familiar for you longer-term readers of mine, you saw them all in blue right here. Passing by this shop the other day, I saw these seltzer bottles in different colors, with the sun reflecting through.

This post is for James'REFLECTION WEEKEND series, and especially because his birthday is today! Happy Birthday from another Aquarian in Belgrade!

Last

Zemun towers--SKYWATCH

The tower on the Church of the Nativity of the Holy Mother of God rises in front of Janos Hunyadi's tower in the Belgrade municipality of Zemun (ZAY-moon). Read more about
Janos Hunyadi's tower right here.

And why don't you join SKYWATCH?

An old-fashioned restaurant

Last week my traveling companion to India treated me to lunch for her birthday. (Yes, you read that right. People who have birthdays here treat others to lunch or cake, and not the other way around!) We went to one of the few unrenovated, old-style restaurants that still remain. By this I mean that the restaurant is very unpretentious, the tables are covered with simple white tablecloths, a lot of people are smoking, and the waiters, dressed in dark pants, white shirts, and black vests, are professionals, but without the snootiness. This particular restaurant hasn't changed since I moved here over thirty years ago. The white plates with the blue trim and the paper napkins under the serving dish took me back in time, as did the salt, pepper, and toothpick holder. That's a mulled wine you see to accompany my sarma, rice and meat wrapped in cabbage leaves, with a piece of pork, potatoes, a corn muffin, and homemade bread in the basket. The only things that are atypical are the the bottle of balsamic vinegar and the olive oil that replaced the regular wine vinegar and sunflower seed oil!

ABC Wednesday--"C" is for "Creatures from hell"

These bizarre little toys hop and squeak and their fiendish eyes light up. I was almost tempted to buy one for Bibi, but I thinks she'd have been scared.... They did draw quite a crowd though on Belgrade's pedestrian street, Knez Mihailova.

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Another day (year ) older....

...but fortunately not 'deeper in debt,' as goes Tennessee Ernier Ford's song, "Sixteen Tons." (Just saw on Wiki that he was an Aquarius, too; Feb. 13th!)

Here I am at somewhere between age 1 and two in my hometown of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, though I don't know at whose place this was taken. My mother said the dog's name was Toby, but who he belonged to remains a mystery. Now I have a little black dog of my own... And I've learned not to let my slip, not to mention my underpants, hang out. Please--no comments about needing rubber pants again!!

I'm full of nostalgia and wonder when I look at photos of myself and family. This little girl grew up, traveled to far-off lands, one of which she stayed in, learned a couple of 'foreign-but-not-really-anymore' languages, married, had two children, fought cancer, became a widow much too early...and like everyone else of a similar age, has a mixture of sad and happy memories of her life.

If you want a piece of birthday cake, you'll have to go to last year's post, since I didn't make myself one this year. My son's working in another town, and I'd eat it all....

THEME DAY--WOOD--A few of my favorite friends

Meet just a few of my favorite 'homies,' whom I've adopted over the years, and they're all made out of wood. You probably recognize Radovan, the little guy to the right of the turtle, who accompanies me when I travel. Around him is a selection of figures from Russia, Poland, the USA, Serbia, India, and in the turtle's case (it was purchased on the flea market), I think Indonesia.

Come back to visit me tomorrow...it's my birthday...

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