CONFUCIUS SAID AND WE FORGOT

Confucius, 551 to 479 BC, is considered the paragon of Chinese sages. Here is his  state in front of the Chinese Cultural Center in New Belgrade. His teachings emphasized personal and governmental morality, harmonious social relationships, righteousness, kindness, sincerity, and a ruler's responsibility to lead by virtue.

Most of our world leaders would do well to heed to his teachings, especially the one now elected president along with his crones in my birth country. 

MONDAY MURALS--WAKE UP AND SMELL THE FLOWERS

 Not sure, of course, but the very old buildings that have been demolished are most likely going to make room for a fancy apartment high-rise. Happening all over town. If they'd only make a park with a lot of greenery so we can all breathe a bit  better and this girl can really smell the flowers. I fear though that this mural will not be visible when the building goes up.

Thanking my friend Maja for sending me this photo!

Check out MONDAY MURALS to see murals around the world.

FROSTY TRIPTYCH

 I am hard-pressed for photos. It's been freezing, raining, and very foggy. The later makes it smoggy too. 

Here is a triptych of some frosty photos done free online. Couldn't figure out how to crop the last one decently. Oh, well.

OUT OF THE FOG...AND FROST

 Yesterday was my idea of a perfect January 1st. Very cold and frosty. Pup and I took an early morning walk, and met few people without dogs!  Even this lady had one, though he cannot be seen behind the tree.

INTO THE NEW YEAR

 These two pigeons appear to be questioning each other about what 2025 holds. I am wondering the same.

Dare I say "Happy New Year"?

LADY BEHIND THE WHEEL

 I am surprised I got this shot. Took it with my phone very quickly. You don't see many lady bus drivers here (in trams, yes) and this one stands out!

YESTERYEAR

 Some parts of Belgrade are timeless. I took this photo from a bridge after exiting a bus that connects New Belgrade to the ols part of the city.

WINTER

 My little Christmas gnomes keeping snuggly warm inside while outside....it isn't really snowing and that's not my living room. Winter wallpaper on my TV!

BOTTLE OF BUBBLY

 No, not the champagne-bubbly, but rather a green plastic bottle of a local bubbly mineral water that sits on my sill. Refrigerator is overloaded, and it's cold  outside. While walking through the room, I noticed the cool (no pun intended) reflection showing areas or my neighborhood with snow that fell on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  Sadly, it is now slush.

ROOF PROBLEM SORT OF SOLVED....

The other day I posted a photo of my gingerbread house made this year and complained that the rear roof had fallen in. No chance of repairing it, so I was left with a gaping hole.

Here is WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE BEFORE (although rear roof not visible) and and above is how I solved the problem, inspired by EDWARD MUNCH'S THE SCREAM.

 

THE ROOF CAVED IN....

 Well, not the entire roof. Just the back side, which is not visible here.

Every year I make a gingerbread house. Notice I said 'made,' not 'assembled,' since it is my own doing, not a bought one.

I do this with various degrees of imperfection. This year, the back roof caved in. Later I am either going to use some red and yellow crinkly cellophane  to make 'a fire,' or else find some slim balsa wood to make planks on top of which I would place some toy roof repairmen. Gotta find those too....or maybe a Santa and sleigh who made a bad landing? Possibilities are endless. This could be fun...