This Halloween, I got a bit carried away with my displays. My office is on one of New York City’s Halloween streets, where thousands walk by to see the decorations or trick or treat.
For me, Halloween is about creativity, not candy. I love that people dress up, and I love that people decorate. It’s a fun time to express yourself and let your imagination take over.
Most residents decorate their brownstones with horror, blood, and gruesome monsters. My friend Lauren encouraged me to make kid-friendly displays.
I created a series of RiDUCKulous displays featuring four ducks dressed as my favorite Halloween iconic characters from back in the day. I’m not a crafter, so making these displays was a reach. I never used a hot glue gun. I never attempted paper mache. And I don’t paint. Between big moments of joy, I experienced a bit of frustration trying to execute my ideas.
Here’s my Count Duckula display. He’s made of recycled bottles, newspaper, and old-fashioned paper mache (flower and water). He’s covered in Tic Tacs, cake sprinkles, Red Hots, black licorice, Dollar Store eyes, cake sprinkles, black glitter, chocolate baking dots, recycled cloth grocery bags, and a child-sized wig.
One of my big takeaways from crafting my displays is how much garbage we make. I collected bottles and boxes so they’d be handy when I was making my displays. Reports estimate that each person creates about 147 pounds of trash per month, or 1,788.5 pounds yearly.
For inspiration, I googled Dracula, and found a picture of one of my favorite actors, Leslie Nielsen.
I love this actor and his movies so much that his Dracula costume inspired me.
Mermaids of nearly every imaginable description (Swedish Fish singing ABBAand Mime-Maids) lined Surf Avenue in Coney Island for the 41st Mermaid Parade.
It was an incredible display of art, body positivity, cleverness, and creativity.
This year’s parade is billed as the nation’s largest arts parade. Hip-hop legend Kool Keith was its king, and city Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo was its queen.
The main goal of the parade is to spread positivity and fun, and it continues to do so year after year.
The Mermaid Parade is all about body positivity. Body positivity is a movement that promotes acceptance of all bodies, regardless of size, shape, skin tone, gender, and physical abilities.
According to the Office on Women’s Health, a healthy body image means feeling good about looking and feeling comfortable in one’s body. Conversely, they report that having a negative body image can put one at a higher risk for mental health conditions, including eating disorders.
The true meaning of being positive about your body is self-acceptance and learning what is healthy specifically for you.
It’s a gathering of scantily clad folks who aren’t afraid to wear sequins, bare midriffs, fins, and sea-inspired costumes in broad daylight, with thousands of people watching.
The Mermaid Parade allows women to dress up as Drag Queens.
“Just like the Halloween parade — it’s all authentic New Yorkers. And this is an authentic New York event, she said.
The parade has been held nearly every year since 1983 but went virtual in 2020 and was canceled in 2021 because of the COVID pandemic.
The Mermaid Parade is a chance to get made up, express yourself, hear live music, see classic cars, and enjoy the creative spirit of New Yorkers.
Organizers estimate hundreds of thousands of people come out each year.
A ceremony on the beach also marks the start of the official summer swimming season on Coney Island.
Check out Divabetic’s Mystery podcast, Gypsies, Tramps & Peas.
Diabetes advocate turned reluctant amateur sleuth, Mr. Divabetic finally takes the plunge and ventures into a new career as a healthy caterer in Coney Island. With the help of his co-workers and nosy Italian mother, he heads for Coney Island to cater his first party aboard a yacht for his former swim coach, Ted Rockow. But his nautical soiree quickly capsizes when the guest of honor is found swimming with the fish. Was it an accident or foul play? Now Mr. Divabetic’s grilling Burlesque dancers, a lifeguard lothario, and some sequined mermaids, all intent on keeping their secrets buried deep within the sand.
Can Mr. Divabetic prove Coach’s death was a murder, not an accident? Or will he end up floating out to sea?
Will he sink or swim? Tune in to find out if he can solve the murder of his former swim coach with the help of his friends, some sassy mermaids, and a cooky fortune teller. Along the way to revealing the identity of the murderer, he uncovers expert tips for diabetes self-care during the Summer months.
USA Today Best-Selling Author, Tonya Kappes, Asha Brown, Catherine Schuller, Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic,’ Seveda Williams, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, MaryAnn Horst Nicolay MEd, NDTR, Mama Rose Marie, and Lorraine Brooks help the fruit suit-clad sleuth in this seaside adventure.
Divabetic Mysteries podcast features music from the original cast recording of ‘Gypsy’ courtesy of SONY Music.
