Hard times for many all the time.

With the world's financial crisis the way it is, many people are justifiably worried about their savings. But there many others who, for whatever reason, have never known what it is to save or even be able to save or live a comfortable life. I've seen these homeless fellows downtown for a long time. They're always in this same place, and for them it is their home. In the dead of winter they disappear, most likely to one of Belgrade's shelters, but always return.

THEME DAY--BOOKS: One of my favorite books

One of my best-loved books is Walden, by Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), American author and philosopher. Walden is a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and simplicity and self-reliance were Thoreau's goals. He made clear in this book that his cabin was not in the wilderness, but at the edge of town, not far from his family home. Mama Thoreau undoubtedly often brought him goodies, but that’s what mothers are for, after all! Thoreau did not intend to live as a hermit, but rather to live at a distance from society in order to raise his awareness of how one's life is lived, materially and otherwise, and how one might choose to live it more deliberately, mindful of the present moment. He put into practice the Transcendentalist belief that one can best transcend normality and experience the Divine through nature. Some say he was the precursor of American Buddhism, since he was perhaps the first American to explore the nontheistic mode of contemplation which is the distinguishing mark of Buddhism. One of my favorite quotes of his is: “Our life is frittered away by detail—simplify, simplify!”

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Happy Halloween!!!

BOO!! Happy Halloween! This is me (actually, Bibi is my dog...) in a photo taken by my son on his cell phone, which has funny photo options. I think Bibi looks very Sixties/Seventies with her afro, don't you?

Young love, old love, same love.

These photos were taken just within a few meters and a few moments from each other. I thought they were so touching--the young couple standing up, facing in the same direction, perhaps thinking of their future, and the older couple seated, each absorbed in his/her own thoughts, and perhaps reflecting on the past.

ABC Wednesday "O" is for "Oh, wow, was I lucky!"

This hummingbird moth zooming in for a taste of a black-eyed Susan looks more like a country shot than one taken a busy street in Belgrade. I saw this little bugger (pun intended) hovering around the flowers and took about 10 shots. Only this one turned out just right, with the moth centering itself unintentionally (or maybe it felt sorry for me) on the oval of a satellite dish. And I didn't crop this one either!

Join ABC Wednesday at: http://wednesdayabc.blogspot.com/

All wrapped up and nowhere to go

Don't these look like something you'd see on a Paris catwalk? They're only mannequins with material wrapped around them to look like skirts and tops, but I think they're really imaginative. I came across them in a dingy underground passage that connects two sides of one of Belgrade's main streets. Whoever created them should consider a career in fashion and literally move up, I think.

Students' Square

This post is dedicated to Branka from Canada, who wrote that she often met with her friends in this park during her student days in Belgrade. This square is the city's oldest, dating from 1824 when the first attempt to regulate the city streets was made. Earlier on, it was the “grand market” inside a fortress on the main road to Istanbul. Now it's still on a heavily traveled street, although not one that leads to Istanbul, and the square is the last stop for all buses serving downtown Belgrade. The park is now more of a gathering place for dog walkers than students, though the Faculty of Math and Natural Sciences and the Philological and Philosophical Faculties are nearby. If you're wondering about the hammer and sickle, this is just some graffiti spray-painted by someone longing for days gone by!

A break from bricks

Walking in Kalemegdan Park a week or so ago, I came across a group of masons repairing one of the fortress's huge brick walls. I lingered, hoping to sneak a shot, when the fellow on the left saw me. He waved and said, "Take my photo!" and then called his buddy over, too. Once again I promised them a photo, which I've since taken to them, and they were happy! Check out more bricks and the meaning of the fortress's name here .

Dare to eat me!

Last Sunday, which was another gorgeous Indian Summer day, my son and I drove to Kovačica (Ko-VAH-cheet-sa), a village about a half an hour from Belgrade. This predominantly ethnically Slovak village is known throughout the world for its naïve (self-taught) painters. The tradition was started in 1939 and advanced in the 1950’s when several peasants took to painting scenes from their daily lives. Neither of us paints, but we did put our artistic talents to work on the Wiener Schnitzel my son ordered for lunch by rearranging the fries. Maybe I should have saved this one for Halloween.

Skywatch Friday--The Victor in the Tree

The statue "The Victor” commemorates the Serbian victory over the Austro-Hungarian Empire in World War I. With its pedestal, this bronze statue in Kalemegdan Park rises over 14 meters. The statue was created by the famous Ivan Meštrović over 75 years ago, and was originally intended to stand on one of the largest streets downtown. Because he was naked (The Victor, not Meštrović!), The Victor was deemed an affront to public morality and moved to the park where he overlooked the Sava and Danube toward the great plain beyond. Now this plain has become New Belgrade, and I thought he might feel shy, so I've hidden him in this treetop...

Check out or join Skywatch at: http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Happy Birthday to my little girl....

Today my daughter is....older than she was yesterday! Because she's living in the U.S. and can't celebrate with her brother and me, we gathered together some of her childhood friends. The little fellow in the blue pyjamas is Edward, named after a friend's son who was born about the time she received the doll as a present. Edward was/is much loved; his left eye doesn't close anymore, and his body bears marks of a bout with a ball point pen. The little Cabbage Patch girl in the middle (ashamed to say I have forgotten her name...) was selected because my daughter liked her lips. On the right is Hospital Baby, dating from the time when my daughter was hospitalized for bronchopneumonia when she was only two. The only doll she could take with her was one that could be washed easily. Edward is holding my daughter's favorite spoon, which used to be mine when I was little. They're all sitting on a small patchwork I made for her when she was born. Each patch tells a tale, too. Happy, happy birthday to my little baby. Mama and big brother love you, and we know your father is looking over you too, with love.