Terra Cotta Pot III

This is my newest pot to experiment with:
And that's a piece of scotch tape. Part of my experiment too. I taped the photos that I plan to Mod Podge on the pot. I realized I may have found something to make ME happy. If I'm happy, that means I can BELIEVE in it.
The pot is a "bell' clay pot. Because it well--looks like a bell. Still an 8 inch yet, more round, wide and curvier than the standard 8 inch pot. And I hadn't really seen one until today at store, I hadn't been to in literally years: Garden Ridge. I like how the tape held my pictures on the bell. The pictures didn't get so 'lost' on the pots as they did on the standard 8 inch.
So during the commercials in Dancing With the Stars and rewinds if I missed something (oh, and I'm OK that Kendra got the boot!): I treated the inside with the Thompson Water Seal and let that dry outside. I never knew this stuff existed until a couple weeks ago. I probably did more than a couple coats--I'm still working on that part.
Once my bell dried, I smothered the outside with Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Primer.
I probably don't need the primer, yet I like my paint color to be as true as possible. I like this primer, more than Krylon. Just seems to hold better. Right now my bell pot is all snow white. I'll let that dry overnight and try to put a coat of acrylic gloss black paint on it before I got to work. I've decided I like the acrylic, especially when I painted a pot as I watched Celebrity Apprentice (Star and NeNe are Must See TV) and didn't need to worry about being fumes rendering me unconscious. Anyway, if I don't have time in the morning, I'll do when I get home from work.
Clay pots, paint and me....who woulda thunk?
I'm still in shock.
Stay tuned.

Star Thursday Thought

Watched the Oprah episode about weight loss, with Valerie Bertinelli, Marie Osmond and Star Jones. Granted, Star Jones was a story everybody wanted to hear yet, knowing about Valerie and Marie for years, I would have liked them to have more time.

I digress.

Back to Star. I'm still not as big of an admirer as I first was, however I liked her more after watching her this time, than I did--say, on Larry King after she left The View. I pretty much quit watching The View because of her. Tired of the wedding stuff, etc. But today, was different.

Star's talk of not letting anybody know she had gastric bypass. How she wasn't strong enough to face her fears. Possibly disappointing people. All that reminded me of me and my open-heart surgery. Not everybody knew what was wrong with me to be in the hospital. In fact, when I went back to work, some folks thought I had gastric bypass because I'd lost so much weight (and since gained half of it back--drat!) Some of the folks I grew up, with didn't know. I also realized, like Star said about her The View comrades, how much of a burden she put on them to keep her confidence.

And I did that to Movie Man. I didn't realize how much burden was on him. I'm forever sorry for that. And I've told him so. Didn't give him as much thought for what he felt, as I should have as IV's were pumped into my veins. Heaven knows I had enough time on my hands. Co-workers knew we were close, so he would know the truth. I was being selfish. I wanted to be the one to tell them my illness, plus I didn't want a lot of 'there, there' around me.

Yes, indeed, you WANT folks to be there for you. They're scared--maybe more than you realize. In fact one of my closest chums told me recently how she thought she would lose me. I never knew. Sometimes though, the visitors can tire you out when you need rest. I'm blessed for everyone--they were there in a shade drawn moment of my life.

Back to my point, Star said she would disappoint folks if they found out. I wondered if I thought that. And I did. Not with the surgery--oh heck, that was a piece of cake. Nope. I was petrified, when I first went into the hospital and my speech was interrupted.

I'd had the stroke that wasn't a stroke from the piece of endocarditis broke off and traveled to my brain. My neurologist said it caused my brain to burp--but that was a few days after my speech cleared up. But before--oh man--I was devastated if I could not communicate as I once did. I was known for my speech, my mannerisms and now I was scared it would all be gone. I sat in that hospital and feared I would always be able to understand folks (and I could) but to reply would be slurred and/or I'd miss a word in a sentence.

For instance, the doc would say "have a nice day." And I would respond: "have a day." I'd hear them, but my brain wasn't quite there. During that time I thought I would not be good for much. What could I do if I couldn't talk? That's when I wasn't strong enough to tell others outside of my circle, because I wasn't the same. Their memories of me were fun lovin, do anything she wanted and hey, it's party because she's here. Without fluid speech, I felt, I would never measure up again.

To think that,-wow- I musta still lacked some brain cells.

Would I do some things differently? Yes. For one, my boss at the time, I would have let her be more open with my co-workers. Movie Man would have burden lifted off him. I didn't want folks to feel sorry for me. I tired for the look of 'is she going to keel over? (I still see that now) Or rush to my bedside. If things were worse, well yea. But they weren't.

I just wanted to get on with my life. Maybe that's what Star Jones wanted. To learn and get on with her new life.

Star says she grew spirituality. I second that emotion. My faith was tested. Did I have it or did I not?

When all was said and done, I realized my fear of fear itself and fear of disappointment was pointless. I knew where my strength came from.

And He didn't bring me this far to leave me.

Hope Star Jones gets that.

Headlines....

Was that Marie Osmond on a Nutri System commercial? Indeed it was. Honestly, as much I adore Queen Latifah--her "Size Something" Jenny plugs--don't ring true to me. I hope those commercials are changed up some how.

Indiana Jones #4...$151 million...something just get better with age

Harvey Korman passed away at 81. I loved when Harvey would break up while Tim Conway kept a straight face. They were priceless before Mastercard ever said it. .

Al Reynolds gives a statement on his failed marriage with the falling Star Jones. Next.

So all the kids will be permited back to their home at the polygamists' Texas ranch. I wonder how the kids, especially the older ones feel now after experiencing a life on the outside. Calling Dr. Phil.

I have to buy gas tomorrow-I'm on fumes: $ 3.85. WHY? Was it that long ago, I fathomed gas couldn't go over a dollar. Are you driving as much as you use to?

Clay Aiken and 50 year old music producer, Jaymes Foster, are pregnant. Artificial insemination. As long as they're happy. Next.

At the half the Spurs lead Kobe and his group, the Lakes in the NBA Western Conference final...the Mavericks aren't there--I won't quite say NEXT, because Michael Finley of the Spurs, was a member of my church while in Dallas.

Don't you think Barack, Hillary and John all wish this election was over? I do.

In the meantime, I need to watch my soap, The Young and Restless, savor some tingle teeth cold watermelon and praise God for this life.

Star Jones & Vanessa Williams

So Star Jones is getting un-married. My positive thoughts of disappeared, just as her weight did--about the time she planned her wedding of the galaxy. Then Star left The View. For the me, the deal was done. I often wondered why something so private was just so out there in the open. Maybe if I hadn't believed her marriage was not a happy ever after kinda thing. There was just 'something.' Now divorce. I wonder what "The View's" take is on that?

On the cover of this month's Ebony is Vanessa Williams with her kids. When she was crowned Miss America--I was estatic. I mean, she was black like me, and now had her own tiara! When the events of her giving up her tiara became public (in this day in age, those pictures would have been on YouTube before the pageant even finished). I felt sorry for her. Yet angry too. I figured Vanessa would do some stupid stuff and justify losing their tiara. Then we'd forget all about her, except when they'd show an asterisk by her name of Miss America winners. To me Vanessa let us-me- down.

Now its 2008. Star has a bumpy road ahead of her. She put her privacy out there. To me, a spectacle. Star didn't win me back over when she went on Larry King to talk about her leaving "The View". I look at Vanessa. She's had two broken marriages, gorgeous kids, and looks gorgeous kids herself. She did all her stuff in private. Vanessa held her head high while she re-built herself. Singer. Actress. Respected talent--coupled with her best role, Mom.


Can Star get her stuff back together? For her sake, I hope so. That the personal life, is just that--personal. Yes, you can share your life with others--yet the way Star handled it before, you'd think the ghost of Cecile De Mille decided to direct it all in Cinemascope.