Trash – Divabetic

10/16/202410/16/2024

Lily Pond Using Single-Use Plastics

I’m temporarily obsessed with creating a lily pond made from single-use plastics for my upcoming Princess Frogs Halloween display on West 69th Street (between Columbus and Central Park West).

I used an assortment of single-use plastics, including Sprite and Seltzer water bottles, yogurt containers, coffee cans, Chinese takeout lids, bubble wrap, and thin packing foam.

Single-use plastics are goods made primarily from fossil fuel–based chemicals (petrochemicals) and are meant to be disposed of immediately after use. Plastic pollution is very real, and single-use plastics are small but have a significant impact.

According to EarthDay.Org, Americans purchase about 50 billion water bottles annually, averaging about 13 bottles per person in the U.S.! That means using a reusable water bottle could save an average of 156 plastic bottles annually.

At least 14 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans every year, according to EarthDay.Org.

Single-use plastics can pose several health risks and contain chemical additives that act as endocrine disruptors. These additives mimic hormones and disrupt the body’s signaling, leading to a range of health issues, including hormonal imbalances, reproductive problems, and cancer.

If you’re thinking about getting crafty, check out YouTube. There are so many wonderful instructional videos. I enjoy watching the Ultimate Paper Mache channel with Joanie. My only wish is that she would occasionally switch up the hoodie for a twin set.

To create my lotus flowers, I watched a craft video on YouTube on how to make Lotus Flowers, but it was beyond my skill set, so I turned it off and went to work.

I ripped off the labels on the Sprite and Seltzer bottles. I cut the bottles in half and then cut flower shapes on the circumference of each half. The final step was painting the inside with a dusty rose before adding hot pink highlights.

My friend Lauren gave me some scraps of bubble wrap and thin packing foam. I cut the bubble wrap into 4-inch strips and painted both sides with dusty rose paint. I cut triangle shapes on one side of the strips and then tied them off before inserting them with glue into each plastic bottle.

There won’t be enough room in front of the townhouse on West 69th Street to host my display for these lovelies, but it doesn’t matter. I had a blast making them.

Many people have been wondering why I created Princess Frogs for Halloween. Last year, two women who saw my Dastardly Ducks display commented that they were grateful for a break from the gore and horror of the other street decorations, especially given the current violence in the world.

Secondly, there were so many girls dressed as princesses trick-or-treating that I wanted to celebrate them.

Everyone deserves to feel like a princess.

08/21/202408/21/2024

How To Pick Corn

Corn is a starchy vegetable high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals and relatively low in fat and protein. A medium ear of sweet corn or half a cup of kernels contains 77-100 calories and 15 grams of carbohydrates. How do you choose corn?

Experts advise looking at the silks, or “silky hair,” at the top of the cob to determine if it’s fresh: Corn silks should be golden brown and slightly moist, almost tacky. When corn is pollinated, the silks will dry up, turn brownish, and fall off. If the silks are dark, curled up, and falling out, it indicates that pollination has occurred. The kernels may remain unfertilized if the silks are still yellow-green and growing.

Corn begins to turn its sugar into starch as soon as it’s picked, and the process accelerates over time. Less sugar means the corn is less sweet and tender.

Central Farm Markets in Bethesda, MA, is one of the largest farmers markets in the region with over 100 vendors and artisan food producers year-round. The market is open year-round and features table seating, music, local Maryland winery and farm brewery tastings, kids club activities, chef demos, and more.

07/20/202407/20/2024

Watercolor Washes And Blood Sugars

My second watercolor class was about washes. It proved to be just as challenging as the first class, but it was still a blast from start to finish. We used a large brush and loaded up with the paint mixture in a smooth, sweeping motion side to side. The three main types of watercolor washes are flat, graded, and variegated. You can attempt them with a wet brush on dry paper or a wet brush on wet paper. My goal was to create transparency with the paint.

I adore my instructor, Eva, from Bulgaria. She’s passionate about art and teaching art. When she travels back to Bulgaria, she doesn’t like to take photos because she feels photos can’t capture your memories. I’m paraphrasing, but I love her thoughts. I arrived early so I could ask her about her artwork. She is a chemigram artist. A chemigram has been called ‘the ultimate adventure of gelatin silver bromide’. It’s made by painting with chemicals on light-sensitive photography paper. According to Eva, you can’t see what you’re creating until you process the paper, and there’s a high probability that it might not work out. Eva likes it because you can’t control it.

Drinking water can help dilute blood sugar levels, but no single food or drink can directly reduce the amount of sugar in your blood. Different foods affect your blood sugar differently, creating bigger or smaller rises for longer or shorter periods. High blood sugar—known as hyperglycemia—can lead to dehydration, as the body tries to eliminate excess glucose through urine. Excess urination is one symptom of diabetes.

When dehydrated, your blood becomes more concentrated, including glucose. Drinking water can help rehydrate your blood and dilute the sugar, which can help lower blood sugar levels. Water can also help your kidneys filter out excess sugar through urine, which can further help flush sugar from your body.

Taking fast-acting insulin medication is the fastest way to lower blood sugar. Talk to your healthcare collaborators about the best self-care plan for you.