Ruth E. Hendricks

Unexpected Spectacular Delight

Ruth — Mon, 18 May 2026 03:12:12 +0000

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

Ruth — Sun, 17 May 2026 03:19:07 +0000

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.

Pignoli Cookie from Rocco’s Pasticceria

Ruth — Sat, 16 May 2026 03:49:45 +0000

Pine nuts pressed into the almond flavored cookie. One of my favorites. Bought Bleecker Street Rocco’s Pasticceria last week when I was at my sister’s.

I have a recipe from a former colleague’s mother. Here’s the link to the 2012 blog post.

Another almond flavored cookie on the right

Street Sign in Greenwich Village

Ruth — Fri, 15 May 2026 03:05:18 +0000

Sometimes you drive over a bridge named in honor of someone. You might glance at a sign with a name along a stretch of highway.

A plaque.

In memoriam.

A tribute.

A place named to honor, to remember.

It might be a soldier, a notable person, a hero.

I wondered about the name on this street sign- Police Officer James P. Leahy- when I took the picture but didn’t look him up until tonight

I saw this sign when I was visiting my sister

Here’s what I found

“Officer James Leahy was killed in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks while attempting to rescue the victims trapped in the World Trade Center.”

You can read more about Officer James P. Leahy here

There are other links that are touching , his wife speaking of her high school sweetheart, his family.

Here’s a site Honoring USA Heroes with more information.

Puddle on Corday Way

Ruth — Thu, 14 May 2026 04:10:07 +0000

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”

Wordless Wednesday -a guest blog

Ruth — Wed, 13 May 2026 03:49:10 +0000

Photographed by my daughter Laura in Columbus.

They’re Back!

Ruth — Tue, 12 May 2026 02:52:39 +0000

Steve captured their little heads popping up, waiting for breakfast. The Robin family renewed their lease this year.

They love the sleds hanging on the back wall of the garage.

Hudson River View

Ruth — Mon, 11 May 2026 03:04:32 +0000

From Whitney Museum window

Remembering our Mother

Ruth — Sun, 10 May 2026 02:23:01 +0000

John, Robert and Marian Van Sickle 1915

1918

Robert Marian and John

Back Left – Teacher one room school house

1939

1042 with my Dad holding my sister Mary

My mother holding me in Illinois 1953

1974

1976

My mother a grandma to Mark and Matthew in 1980. How about those couches?

1990

Piano Man on Bleecker Street

Ruth — Sat, 09 May 2026 02:14:11 +0000

We heard the piano music through the open window of my sister’s fifth floor apartment across the street. So when we were at street level, I snapped a few shots.

Sorry, no audio.