Unexpected Spectacular Delight

Look what my daughter-in-law Nataliya found FREE on FB Marketplace Sunday afternoon. Yes, she was browsing through marketplace while she’s in Mexico thousands of miles away from Pittsburgh. Actually (2,893 miles)

Nataliya texted me and alerted me to this fabulous FREE cake being offered and I drove less than a mile to pick it up!

What a lovely pastry chef Marla Mae and her husband Logan who carried it out in a large white box with a window to peer in. Oh my!!!

They brought it out to my car.

Wait.

Let’s get it out of the car and take some pictures!!!

Marla’s husband snapped this photo of the presentation.

@madebymarlamae is on Instagram

An impromptu party was about to take place.

Drove over to the neighborhood and pulled up to the curb just as my friend Barb was about get into her friend Sonia’s car. I yelled across the street-Baaaarb!!.

Barb and Sonia then changed their plans from going to the movies to see The Sheep Detectives and instead we all went inside Barb’s house.

Barb and Sonia got on their phones and invited a few friends and neighbors to come for a surprise cake tasting. One by one, everyone ooohed and ahhed when they arrived and saw what a fabulous cake awaited tasting!

Here’s a YouTube video of everyone’s responses to the gorgeous cake.

It was so generous that everyone got to take a piece home, too. There were raspberries and fresh strawberries and real pink roses and “The cakesicles are basically just cake pops with a chocolate shell” and raspberry macarons. Chocolate dipped strawberries decorated the numerals. Chocolate cake with raspberry preserves, buttercream. Delicious!

Here’s Marla Maes website.

If you live in Pittsburgh area and need a special cake……

We ate the 2.
Details

The Power of Suggestion

My friend Tookie texted the other day that she made French Toast with a loaf of Mancini Bakery Twist bread. Hmm.

I had part of a loaf from La Gourmadine I bought earlier in the week. I sliced it. And this morning I thought yes, I need to make French Toast. Thanks Tookie.

Italian or French bread? It’s all delicious.

Puddle on Corday Way

We’ve had a lot of rain lately.

Forecast models for May suggest roughly 98-158mm ((3.8\- 6.2\) inches) of rain, indicating a potentially wetter-than-average May”

25 Year Old Sloth at the National Aviary

On many visits to the National Aviary he’s just a big lumpy shadow at the top of a tree on a branch. Easily visible this morning, being fed breakfast

Video of sloth eating breakfast

patience.

He takes his time.

My sister and I went to the National Aviary this morning

So many bridges in Pittsburgh – a guest blog

Thanks to Bill McCafferty for this sign.

His answer to the question:

“She walks across.”

WALK AND BIKE THE BURGH TOURS click for link

Definition of a Yinzer.

“A “yinzer” is a nickname for a native or resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who embodies the city’s culture, sports loyalty, and unique “[Pittsburghese]” dialect.”

Iris After the Rain at Dusk

More to come

My neighbor Sue gave me the Iris a couple of years ago. They are so beautiful. I worried the strong rain would beat them to the ground, that the blossoms would crumple. They stood tall. The petals like velvet.

Wordless Wednesday

Allegheny River Reflection

The Azalea is in Bloom

At sunrise

So Many Greens

Wordful Wednesday

Sign in a gallery at the
Carnegie Museum of Art

Edit April 23

Blog follower dc did the research and shared this info in a comment but I thought it should be in the body of the post

The 4 women artists featured in the Carnegie International are:

Maya Lin: Known for her environmental works and memorials, including the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Miriam Cahn: A Swiss artist recognized for her powerful paintings and drawings that address themes of gender and violence.
Mona Hatoum: A Palestinian-British artist whose work often explores themes of displacement and identity through various media.
Maja Bajević: A Bosnian artist whose installations and performances reflect on cultural identity and social issues.
This representation highlights ongoing discussions about gender equality in the art world, as noted by the Guerrilla Girls, who pointed out the historical underrepresentation of women artists in major exhibitions.