Dia de los Muertos - Braces and Book Recommendations

Good "Dia de los Muertos" to all of you. Today is a day to remember our beloved dead - ancestors, friends and those important to our lives. It's a day when the veil between the living and the dead is thin, allowing passage and messages to be transmitted to and from. Honor your beloved dead in your own way today, by honoring the good, and dismissing the bad; because everyone has a bit of both in them at all times. Today, concentrate on the good for your personal legacy of the day, and perhaps you'll add one more good day to your life. 

This year Hallmark has produced an ornament set of 
Barbie and Ken celebrating "Dia de Los Muertos". 
Gotta love it! LOL. It's a set of two and retails for 
$69.99. I will NOT be purchasing them, but for 
collectors, it might be a total win/win. 

I get my braces applied early this morning. My appointment is for 9:30, and I should be out of there by 11:00 am. It's a LOT more expensive than my tattoo, and (hopefully) less painful, but it's a bit more angst, although I want this and I need this. I double-checked and the funds were transferred, so I can actually pay for the darned things, and all I can say is it will be a total RELIEF to start finally eating "food" again instead of a lot of liquids. I'll probably stick to the liquids and shredded chicken tonight, but starting tomorrow I'll reintroduce some foods I haven't been able to eat for the past two weeks. Just a little at a time - tiny portions. 

It's a bit nerve-wracking, but I really like the 
Orthodontist, and I think he'll do a very good 
job with my teeth (and also care about me as 
a person - just as important to me). So, I'll 
have 90 minutes of discomfort, and I expect 
I'll have discomfort on and off throughout 
the 18-24 months I'll be seeing him. The 
results, however, will be well worth it in the 
end. 

I'm starting the next audio book of my series while swimming today. Looking at my list of the series, I still have 24 volumes after this one, so I'm pleased. I won't be out of reading/listening material for quite a long time. Not all of the books are as good as the first one(s) were, but that's fine. I listen to them while exercising, and rarely in between, so I don't have much chance to get too bored. I love the characters, so I can live with a bit of boredom in plot every now and again.  

Yes, there really ARE this many volumes in the 
Drizzt Do'Urden series. It makes me happy when 
I have a series I enjoy with a lot of books in it. 
It makes my reading or listening that much easier 
because I can just move from one to the next 
as I finish. This series will take me into 2023, 
so choosing this one was the right decision on 
my part. 

I'm also re-reading a short series (only two books so far, although a third is in proofreading as I write this). The "Memento Mori" series by C.S. Poe has been wonderful. I read "Madison Square Murders" earlier this year and was on tenterhooks until "Subway Slayings" was finally released less than two weeks ago. After finishing "Subway Slayings", I returned back and started reading "Madison Square Murders" once again, and am now finishing "Subway Slayings" for the second time in two weeks. I just love the characters she presents, whether in this series or one of her older ones. She's a very talented author and I recommend her books highly if you don't mind murder mysteries featuring gay characters. 

I've been a fan of C.S. Poe for several years now, and her 
newest series (the Memento Mori series) is excellent. 
She's focused on every detail and exhaustive in her 
research of her beloved New York City. If you like 
murder mysteries and gay characters, her books might 
be perfect for you. 

So I'm going to start my day out in the pool, take a VERY quick run to the grocer, and then head out to get my braces. It'll be quite a day. A chat with Aearwen late this afternoon to cap it all off, and (hopefully) a relaxed evening. I hope you have a fabulous day and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini.