He thinks of it all....

My very, very good friend's husband, who is also a very, very good friend, too, is retired and makes breakfast and dinners when guests are there. In this photo you can see he remembered that I like a light breakfast, two pieces of toast and butter, that's it. (And coffee, not shown!) He added a slice of turkey and an egg for protein..

He also remembered that Bibi stares at us until she gets something, so he placed some sliced turkey on the little napkin on the left of the photo.... How thoughtful. Thanks, Pete.

Am gone for several months to the US to attend to a family matter.

ABC WEDNESDAY--"K" is for "knick-knack"

It's times like this when I am happy I do not collect things anymore. I think the older we get, the more we downsize. I used to collect teapots in odd shapes, and still have a few, but it's downsize, downsize for me now.

But these knick-knacks are cute....

How about you? Do you collect something?

See more J's at ABC WEDNESDAY.

Am trying not to collect stuff now while in the US for several months.

Looney?

I am not sure if this is really a loon. I watched this bird hunt for food while most of its body remained under the water...sort of like a feathered Loch Ness monster...

Anybody know for sure?

Am in the US until mid-summer on a family issue.

Blue bells...

I think these are really grape hyacinths, but I used to call them 'blue bells' when I was little. And you?

Am in the US for several months.

Sunday Bridges: Seeing double

The 'older' Tacoma Narrows Bridge, linking Tacoma with the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington state where I am for a few months on a family matter, was built in 1950, replacing a bit older one now known as Gallopin' Gertie, that collapsed in1940...see this video. In 1990 voters approved the new bridge on the left, built a few years later, to relieve heavy traffic. That bridge was open first to walkers before traffic, and I walked it. Nice view...

See more bridges on Louis La Vache's Sunday Bridges.

Reflections Weekend--Upside-down

The sky, clouds, trees, and water plants...and a string of electrical wires reflected in a pond near a friend's house here in Washington state. I'm in the US for a family matter for a few months.

See other reflections at James' Reflections Weekend.

Say 'cheese'! (And don't forget to floss.)

A happy, medieval grin for you in lieu of a Skywatch photo. I thought this was especially cute since this little guy adorns a dentist's office outside wall here in Seattle.

No Belgrade posts for quite some time yet; am in Seattle on a family matter.

Out in the cold

A bejeweled hand holds a cigarette outside a business office in downtown Seattle. Unlike Belgrade, where for the moment office smokers must simply go outside, here in Seattle (and in the US?) you need to also be 25 feet away from the entrance and/or ventilation. I'm a non-smoker, so I say 'hurrah'.

Am in the US for several months for a family matter.

ABC Wednesday "J" is for "Jazzy"

Tickling the ivories will never be the same on this jazzy piano I spotted in a music store in downtown Seattle...almost makes me want to take piano lessons.

See more J's at ABC WEDNESDAY.

No Belgrade posts for quite a while yet; am in US for a family matter.

Riley waits

This is Riley, my son-in-law's dog. It's obvious that she loves to play ball, and is waiting patiently, dropping a big hint....

No Belgrade photos for several months...am in the US attending to a family matter.

Damp....

Seattle has already had just over 4 inches of rain in the first half of March, way above the average. It's cold and damp, and I'd forgotten just how many lichens like this kind of climate. This whole tree was covered. Anyway, it's green, and good for the first day of spring photo!

For those of you who wonder why there's no Belgrade photo, I'm in the US for several months attending to family issues.

SUNDAY BRIDGES--Wise Owl meets Sassy Crow

Took this with my telephoto, so I couldn't hear the conversation between the two birds on this footbridge....but it almost looks like the owl is wondering how to answer some sassy remark from the crow.

Check out more bridges and perhaps some birds on Louis La Vache's SUNDAY BRIDGES.

Am in the US for several months attending to a family matter.

REFLECTIONS WEEKEND--cat o'nine tails

I used to call these 'catty nine tails' as a kid; some call them corn dogs. No matter; these are still pretty, even though they're last year's.

See more reflections at Newtown Daily Photo.

Fading...

I am now in the US, Seattle to be exact, since my mother isn't doing so well, and had to move from her home. It's a big change, and elderly people don't take kindly to changes, but what to do? I'm/we're trying to make the best of a not so great situation.

I'll be here for until July, so until I return to Belgrade, I'll be posting photos on my home turf.

This tulip was one of a bunch that my daughter had put in my room in her new house.

Blue jeans and red heels

Should have posted something green for Saint Patrick's Day for all of you in the US, but I just couldn't resist this girl's snazzy red high heels. They've got some sort of gold 'thingie' underneath.

ABC WEDNESDAY "I" is for 'irresistible'

Aren't these the sweetest ladies? Grandma Jelka (Yel-ka) and Grandma Rosa are the grandmothers of my daughter-in-law and her brother, the latter of whom was recently married, and this photo shows them wearing their little boutonnieres for that happy occasion. You might remember Grandma Jelka's hands from this photo.

See more I's at ABC WEDNESDAY.

Eat free if you are pregnant...

Apologies for the quality here; cell phone photos!

Here you can see a popular food among Serbs, called 'pita,' which means 'pie'. 'Pita' can be filled with many things, but my favorites are spinach and a white, creamy cheese. The dough is like the Greek phyllo dough, and you can see that this baker is talented in making those flat circles in the upper left into long, thin sheets.

The sign reads, "Free 'pita' if you are pregnant. We'll take your word for it." Trusting souls!

No hurry to dry

Snow's almost gone, but in a few places it's still around. It's hard to dry your clothes in cold, damp weather.

Sunday Briges--Spinal Bridge

Here I am desperate again for a 'bridge' photo. The above photo of spine-heeled boots that are almost guaranteed to throw your back out of line was taken last fall, and I really wanted to use it. Thanks to Google, I found spinal bridge and can post it today!
You can click on the link to see what a spinal bridge yoga exercise looks like, but briefly, it:

• Stretches your chest, neck, spine and hips.
• Strengthens your back, buttocks, and hamstring muscles.
• Calms your brain and central nervous system which helps alleviate stress and mild depression.
• Massages abdominal organs and improves digestion.
• Stimulates the lungs and thyroid glands and helps relieve the symptoms of menopause.
• Reduces anxiety, backache, headache and insomnia.

And I'll bet all of you (including me) reading that can benefit from at least one of those!

Check out other bridges, beneficial or not, at LOUIS LA VACHE'S SUNDAY BRIDGES.

REFLECTIONS WEEKEND--Play it louder, Sam...

I went to another wedding! You may remember my son's and 10 months earlier my daughter's and now it was time for my daughter-in-law's brother. You can see above that one happy guest really loves the gypsy brass band that makes a short appearance at all weddings! I love it when they come, and it seems as if this fellow really wanted his ears to ring.

See other reflections, like the ones in the instruments here, at James' Reflections Weekend.

SKYWATCH FRIDAY...a bird in the hand...

...is worth at least one on your head. There was a cold, white sky when I took this photo, but then, I guess I don't have to tell you that.

The Victor wasn't dressed for the weather...

See other skies at SKYWATCH FRIDAY.

No more blank walls....or gates....

Street art is popular here, as it is in many cities, as you saw in yesterday's post. This art on a preschool's gate and inside wall was most likely created by the kids (okay, the gate...) and their teachers (the wall, maybe!) and was not the result of a casual talented passer-by. Nonetheless, it brightens up the surroundings!

ABC WEDNESDAY --"H" is for "heart"

Valentine's Day is past, but love is still in the air, or so it seems. At least it's in this park downtown.... I discovered both of these hearts not long ago. The one in the foreground is an attempt to have something to put Love Locks on. I haven't been able to find out who put it there, but imagine it was the City. The locks are on, and somehow those little papers are available to write the lovers' names on.... But passers-by who must not be in love tear them off... Better to use an indelible marker....

See more H's on ABC WEDNESDAY.

International Women's Day...

March 8th is International Women's Day, which I have written about before. There are several women in this photom even one with bright orange/red hair. The lady in the foreground was waiting for a tram to take her back home, most likely to a village not far from Belgrade. She'd been to the market across the street to sell her fresh cheese.

Her seat doesn't look too comfy....

The Čukur Fountain: Now you see it, now you don't

The bronze statue seen on the right is of a Serbian boy, who was killed in 1862 by occupying Turks in a skirmish over who had drawing rights from this fountain on Dobracina Street in downtown Belgrade. The boy's death initiated a movement for the liberation of Belgrade and other Serbian cities from Turkish rule.

This post goes out to a young Serbian lady from the US, who had written me for a photo of the fountain. I can only partially fulfill her request, since the statue you see above was stolen several months ago, and fortunately found, but very damaged. It is to be repaired and replaced soon. (I photo borrowed from another source on the Internet, whereas the photo with the wreath in honor of the missing statue is mine.)

Sunday Bridges: Bridge Over Troubled Water

I'm running out of bridges, but not imagination. Hard to believe that Bridge Over Troubled Water (click to listen to the song) dates from 1970. I did not take the above photo, at least the original, but I did photograph the old Bookends album cover I have. Before the song's release, there had been "troubled water" between the duo, and Simon and Garfunkel parted ways in 1970.

See other bridges, metaphorical or not, at Louis La Vache's Sunday Bridges.

Reflections Weekend--HOTEL ZIRA

Hotel Zira is one of Belgrade's newer hotels, located only a short walk or bus ride from the city center. The hotel The modern offers 125 stylish rooms equipped with modern communication and entertainment technology. Our school had a conference there last year, and everything was top-notch.

So if you plan a trip to Belgrade, you will find Hotel Zira to be a good choice.

And the hotel offers a reflection for REFLECTIONS WEEKEND.

SKYWATCH FRIDAY--gnarled tree and wintry sky

The title says it all! I love the colors here, which remind me of the painter Maxfield Parrish.

Check out more skies at SKYWATCH.

Knock 'em off...

Drab is this scene, except for the 'pretty' icicles. They are pretty, but dangerous as well. Several people in Belgrade have been injured by falling snow or icicles in the last couple of weeks. As I type this, we still have about 8 inches of snow, and some more fell today. By law, tenants or owners must clean the sidewalks in front of their buildings and knock off icicles (I hope they look first...) before they grow too long. I helped a friend get rid of these...and we looked down first....

ABC Wednesday "G" is for "golden"

Not real gold, nor even some kind of metal, or even a Golden Retriever. This dog, painted a golden yellow, adorns a large gate on a residence in downtown Belgrade. I believe that in art dogs lying down mean faithfulness, but am not sure. Anybody know?

Check out other G's on ABC WEDNESDAY.

THEME DAY-my favorite part of town

This may not really look like a part of town, but it is. Above is a long-lens shot of houseboats on the Sava River and a boat speeding to the New Belgrade side of the shore. I like this area, because although it is within a city, it seems like you're far out of town.

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