Outlander Chat TONIGHT!

Outlander Chat Tonight - 9PM Eastern - come chat with the crazy chicks who made those ridiculous movies this weekend!  We've got my reread, Tracey's new bracelet, THE EXILE and much more to cover! Hope to see you there!

The My Outlander Purgatory Shop!

Whoo hoo! The MOP SHOP is up and running! Just click on "MOP SHOP" on the tabs above... and take a gander at some of the goodies I've created for you. AND - if you have any special requests... such as adding a color... or changing a style... just let me know and I'll add whatever you need! We are here to spread the Outlander love!

New Purgatory Videos (Hooker!)

YouTube - Outlander Cast: Roger & Brianna

THIS IS CASTING PERFECTION!!! Awesome youtube video from McFerns21! Check her out!

Heid Ruadh?

SO COOL! SO COOL! SO COOL!  (Click "Gaelic Dictionary" once you get to the site.) Stumbled upon this while searching for a way to say "Redhead". Heid Ruadh?

OK it's weird that my husband just found a movie entitled Red Headed Stranger on TV right now while I'm typing this. Hmmm.....

So what brought on this need to blog about redheads? (Giggle, as if you have to ask.) Well - actually - I was just watching the finale of The Pillars of the Earth.. and was loving the whole red-headed theme... which I didn't think anything of when I read the book... but after reading Outlander... well... you know.

And THANK YOU to Lisa, Deirdre and Laithia for letting me know that Jack Jackson's father was played by Pinter Tibor! He is very Jamie-esque: red hair - long, straight nose - 6'3" - huge shoulders - very blue eyes. Is he the perfect Jamie? No. I'm not sure he even speaks English. But wow - it was fun to watch him and his red hair and huge shoulders in Pillars. That's as close to watching Jamie on the big screen as I fear I'm ever going to get.

Post Video Chat

Tracey and I had an amusing little post-video chat. The video will be up in the next day or so. For now, here's the ridiculousness from the chat room:


* Welcome purgatorycarol, now talking.
purgatorycarol:  Hellooooooooo
* TraceyR (72.88.210.165) has joined #MOP Chat
purgatorycarol:  Tracey and I just mde a video
TraceyR:  wassup
purgatorycarol:  It was fun HOOKER
TraceyR:  carol just drank a bottle of wine yo
purgatorycarol:  Holy crap - it's humid out here!
TraceyR:  it's HUUUUUUUUUMI
TraceyR:  d
purgatorycarol:  dudes she is SO FULL OF SHIZZLE - she drank a bottle too!
purgatorycarol:  DON'T make me show you the bottle!
TraceyR:  it went down eeeeeeasy
TraceyR:  show metne bottleQQQ
TraceyR:  !!!
purgatorycarol:  Ok stop seriously - we have to stop sounding like big lushes a la Chelsea Lately
TraceyR:  buuuuuuurrrrrrp
purgatorycarol:  y'all - tracey won't let me make another video, saying how much I LOVEEEEE EDDIE REDMAYNE!!!!!
purgatorycarol: OMG I have to post this
purgatorycarol:  I am SO going to post this
TraceyR:  noooo
purgatorycarol: Keeeeeeeep talkin', HOOKA!!!!!
TraceyR:  cut my burp
purgatorycarol: OH. MY. GOD. Tracey is the bEST burper in the WORLD
TraceyR:  stuffit gfriend
purgatorycarol:  Lafayette's line from last week resembles us: "Them fuckers is a whole new dimension of trash."
* TraceyR (72.88.210.165) Quit

It's VIDEO time!

OK lads and lassies... Tracey and I are making a video this evening (and should have posted this days ago).

Got anything you want us to discuss?

Let's hear it!

How to Get to Heaven from Scotland

Got this from a friend in Port Glasgow this morning. (Excuse the language).
 

How to get to Heaven from Scotland:
 
I was testing children in my Glasgow Sunday School class to see if they understood the concept of getting into heaven.

 I asked them,
"If I sold my house and my car, had a big jumble sale and gave all my money to the church, would that get me into heaven?"
"NO!" the children answered.

"If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the garden and kept everything tidy, would that get me into heaven?"
 Again, the answer was 'No!' 

 By now I was starting to smile.
 "Well, then, if I was kind to animals and gave sweeties to all the children, and loved my husband, would that get me into heaven?"
 Again, they all answered 'No!'

 I was just bursting with pride for them.
 I continued, "Then how can I get into heaven?"
  
 A six year old boy shouted, 
 "Yuv goat tae be fukin' deid"

Kinda brings a wee tear tae yir e'e....   

Look What Tracey Got!

Isn't it gorgeous?!?

Outlander Book Club's 1 Year Anniversary Contest

In honor of the Outlander Book Club's one year anniversary in September, they are having an essay contest for a chance to win a personalized signed copy of The Exile by Diana Gabaldon!  Yey OBC!  Awesome idea!

See the Outlander Book Club site for more details!

Outlander Chat Instructions

I received an email asking for help with chat and wanted to make sure I post the instructions!

1. To get to chat, click the "My Outlander Chat" tab above. 
2. Type a nickname - any nickname - and click "Join". 
3. You are now signed on to the chat room and your nickname will show up in the box in the upper right hand corner of the chatroom.
4. To start talking, go to the bottom of the white box, where is says: Type here and hit ENTER to send a message". Type whatever you'd like to say and hit the "Enter" key on your keyboard. 

That's it! You're chatting! Whatever you type will show up above in the larger white box. Sometimes it gets crowded (not that we're complaining; we LOVE a full chat) and it helps to change the color of your text so everyone is a different color. If - for instance -  I am typing in green, and I am discussing Fergus - and you want to discuss Fergus - you will know to follow the green text.

We try to follow topics every week, but I don't want it to be so rigid that people have to discuss what we're discussing. I want everyone to have fun at chat!

Hope that helps! And please don't hesitate to let us know if you're having problems!  You can email Tracey or myself by clicking the "Contact Us" tab at the top of the blog!

Pillars of the Earth on Starz: QUESTION

Can SOMEBODY please tell me who is playing Jacque Cherbourg (or Jack Shareburg - aka Jack Jackson's father) in all those flashbacks on The Pillars of the Earth??? I canna find his name anywhere. NO credits on IMDb. NO credits anywhere.

Why? Because he's a big, strapping hulk of a man with big shoulders and red hair. 

Y'all do the math. :)

Another Great Outlander Chat

Thanks to everyone who participated in last night's Outlander chat!  And a warm welcome to two MALE participants from last night... Richard... and Charles. We hope you come back again next week!

Outlander Chat Tonight

Outlander chat tonight at 9PM Eastern!  Tracey will be there -  I am headed to the great Hershey Park in Hershey, PA (to buy gobs of chocolate) with my family.... and will try verra hard to make it! By 9PM I'll be dying to sit down with the laptop and some peace and quiet, I'm sure!

Outlander Casting: Eddie Redmayne

OK because I am such a huge fan of The Pillars of the Earth (squee - two hour finale on Friday!) I have recently become absolutely captivated by Eddie Redmayne who plays Jack Jackson.  He's fantastic.  I think he's absolutely beautiful. He's so soulful... and can easily do strong - and vulnerable - at the same time.  He was on Broadway in a show called Red, for which he won a Tony.. and it closed in June which is SUCH a bummer. I live in NJ and could have easily gone to see him in this show. I canna say enough about him, sassenachs; I think he's an exceptional actor.

Soooooo.... here's the deal. I want him in Outlander. He FITS in Outlander. Somewhere. I just don't know where.  Any suggestions??

Claire's Bad Mofo Wallet

I just had to post this video because I just came across it and was reminded of my commentary from two weeks ago about Claire being a bad mofo and needing her own bad mofo wallet. There is some bad language - so be warned, especially at work or if you are around kids.

This video is dedicated to Tracey R, my sister and Outlander mentor and lover of Pulp Fiction... and also to Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser GREY (tee hee, I couldna resist) because she is one BAD MOFO!!!!

Book 8 Ponderings - Post Scriptum!

SPOILER ALERT:  Dinna read unless ye have read An Echo in the Bone.

Thanks to our Purgatory bud, Danette, for reminding me of something that I left out of the last post.

Another thing that caused my latest musings: I remember reading that Diana didn't want the readers to think Jamie was dead - and I started thinking "Well why did Claire even have to think he was dead? WHY did she HAVE to sleep with Lord John??" And that's when it all fell into place. I am starting to think Tracey is correct; Jamie will forgive Claire in the first 50 pages (after some punishment, right Karen?!) and they will go back to the Ridge - and William will go with them. And even if they don't go back to the Ridge - William and Jamie WILL form a father/son bond...and the infidelity was necessary to allow Jamie to allow himself to hurt Lord John in that way.

WORD.

"Book 8" Ponderings

SPOILER ALERT: Dinna read unless you have finished An Echo in the Bone.

So I've been doing some serious pondering and surmising about "Book 8". Allow me to share.

I was brushing my teeth and thinking about how much I miss the Outlander crew. I then said to myself, "Self", I said, "what on earth is Book 8 going to be about? Is it going to grab me from Page 1?" I then thought "Oh it's going to start off with Jamie finding out about Claire sleeping with Lord John... so of course it's going to grab me." I then did the usual pondering about Claire sleeping with Lord John and what Jamie's reaction is going to be... yada yada yada... we've all been there a thousand times in our heads.

And that's when it happened. "Self", I said, "what is Willy's role going to be in Book 8?" And all at once, I knew. Jamie and Willy are going to rekindle the relationship they forged all those years ago at Helwater and truly become father and son. Ask me why I think this. Go ahead. I'll wait.

HERE'S WHY:  THAT'S why Claire HAD to sleep with Lord John. Diana probably thought to herself,  "Well, I'd like to form that father and son bond between Jamie and William - but how in the world can I do that with William's relationship with his "father", Lord John... and with the respect Jamie has for his best male friend in the world?" And that's when she probably said to herself "Lord John has got to do something so awful, so hideous that Jamie won't feel the least bit bad getting close to Willy as his true father"...

And then she probably said "But what? What on earth could Lord John possibly do that would make Jamie THAT mad?"

And the rest, my friends... is (future) history.

On Yesterday's Bree and Roger Video...

I love putting up a video and saying "discuss". What a loaded statement!

I agree with the general consensus. He's not my Roger and - while I absolutely ADORE Deborah Ann Woll as Jessica on True Blood; she's not really my Bree.

But I did love the song - and I also love that people take the time to put these videos together. You have to give them props. It takes countless hours of research to go through video and cut up parts that you think pertain to the story. I loved the boat shot - even though it was roughly 200 years (give or take a decade) too late. It reminded me of Roger on the ship headed to find Bree... and I got a lovely warm feeling in my wame.... like the kind you get when you have a cup of hot tea or coffee on a freezing cold, rainy afternoon.

I miss Roger. I miss Bree. Don't even get me started on how much I'm missing Jamie and Claire. And I know the general consensus of THAT commentary is "reread the books!" But it's not what I truly want. It's so difficult when you've read all 7 books in a row without stopping - and then have to wait for so long. Lorddddddd where's Diana's Methadone list when I need it?!

Roger and Brianna Video

Found this from randomnessfanvids on youtube today. Discuss!

Another Great Outlander Chat!

Thanks for another great Outlander chat, y'all!  I had a great time, even thought I didn't get there until an hour after it started! 

Love the Monday night chats - you all are so much fun to dish with.

Have a great week; we'll see you in Purgatory!!

Outlander Chat Tonight!

Chat tonight! 9PM Eastern! 

I might not be at chat tonight but Tracey will be there. (A dear friend of mine is a merchant marine and is shipping out on Wednesday for three months... and we are taking him to dinner this evening. I hope to make it to at least some of the chat!)

We are using new chat software tonight and it's way cool and verra easy to use. A couple things:
*You can change the color and size of your text. Try to pick a shade that is different from other chatters. It makes it so much easier to keep track of a conversation you're having.

*For those who like to VIEW in chat - but not actually SAY anything - you can still do this! Just pick a nickname to sign in with (seriously - Mickey Mouse works!) and then just watch. (Jamie knows ye love to watch.)

Enjoy - and let me know if you have any questions or issues!

More Fun with the Frasers

So I'm watching the Fraser videos and I'm seeing photographs of Frasers who fought in South Africa in the early 19th century. And I'm thinking "These were descendants of Jamie Fraser's family!!" And then I think to myself "My god! Jamie Fraser is a fictional character! I...am... LOSING IT!" 

And here's another thing that's kindof cool to think about. What year did we leave off in Echo? 1778? Simon Fraser died in London (ahem turncoat ahem) in 1782. (He was the son of Simon the Fox who was briefly imprisoned and later got all the Fraser lands back by jumping into bed with the British government. Not that I'm judging or anything.) Could we get a glimpse of THAT storyline, perhaps, in the famous upcoming Book 8???

And here's the thing that bugs me. Should I be annoyed with the Old Fox's son, Simon, for seemingly kissing the British government's  ass in the 18th century after Culloden? Should I consider him a turncoat? Or should I assume he did everything he did (including becoming close with the British Prime Minister and living on Downing Street in London when he died) in order to win back his father's stolen lands, no matter what the cost to his personal integrity? Perhaps it's a mixture of both. 

Again - a big thanks to "L" for posting that link and getting my Fraser juices flowing today. I needed it.

Highland Clans - Fraser

Ho. Ly. COW!!!!!! My Outlander Purgatory bud "L" posted a link to this on the comments section of another post and WOWWY MACWOWWY is it a JACKPOT! You will be thrilled with your knowledge of the Frasers while watching this. And if THAT weren't enough - we get to meet Simon Fraser - the CURRENT Lord Lovat!! And might I say he is one TASTY TUNA! AND he's got a long, straight nose! OutSTANDing!!!!! ENJOY!!!



Wow. Video one got my juices flowing. This one... made me cry. Ethnic cleansing, indeed.

Pillars of the Earth: Tom Builder and Jamie Fraser

SPOILER ALERT: Dinna read unless you have read Pillars of the Earth!!!

Watched Pillars of the Earth on Starz last night. I never miss it. I think it's fantastic. I think they're sticking with the storyline so well. (Then again it's been 1.5 years since I've read the book and my memory is not what it used to be. I could be blissfully ignorant here.)

Last night as I was watching Tom Builder (sobbbbb!) and his son, John... I couldn't help but think of Jamie and young Willy at Helwater. The storylines have similarities:  they both are living in close quarters with sons who don't know they are their fathers. Both men love these boys and want the best for them and love them enough to live the lie. It's truly heartbreaking.

In addition.. a few interesting things: 

Both men are with women who are outsiders... and thought of as witches because of it.

Both men are responsible for many people - be they friends or employees - and have the weight of the world on their shoulders. Both men choose to meet this challenge head-on and welcome it.

Both men have to do back-breaking work in order to survive and provide for those around them.

Both men have a remarkable amount of honor. And as their audience, we're always aware of it.

I could go on and on....

Blame Diana

Just heard "Way Down Now" by World Party on my iPod... and thought of how I'm feeling in this state of PURGATORY while I wait for the next Outlander novel. And I had to laugh. We're all in the same boat, sassenachs. That's what makes it bearable; I know I'm not alone.

Blame Diana; I do. ;)

She took us by the hand
Hell was the promised land 

I'm way down now
I'm way down now

I'm lying by the road
Because she cut off all my clothes
I'm way down now
Way down now

Won't you show me something true today?
C'mon and show me anything but this...

Inside my future eye
What I see just makes me cry
I'm way down now
I'm way down now

The clocks will all run backwards
All the sheep will have two heads
And Thursday night and Friday
Will be on Tuesday night instead

And I know I'm not alone...
And I know I'm not alone...

And I know I'm not alone!

Anything but this...

Diana, What Have you Done to me?!

So I have been fruitlessly trying to read "other" books lately... to no avail. I knew it would happen eventually. I knew - when I was somewhere around The Fiery Cross or A Breath of Snow and Ashes - that I would eventually be "finished" the Outlander books that have been written to date. I knew, and yet, I didn't know. I didn't understand what life would be when didn't have a "new to me" Outlander novel ready at the bedside table.

I was hoping for something like the Outlander series - adventure, romance, with excellent writing (I'll settle for "good") - that keeps you on your toes. Right now I'm trying Dangerous Highlander by Donna Grant. Meh. The story is interesting enough... and there is some Diana-esque Scots speak thrown in for good measure.. like "dinna", "nae" and even "cockstand" ... But it just doesna compare.  Words like "rod" just make me giggle... no matter how hot the subject matter.

So here's my question: While nothing can compare to Diana, have you read any books that came close?

Outlander Chat Tonight

Outlander chat at 9PM Eastern. We MAY have a special guest tonight; still working on it.  Two words: Third Sister

A Transitional Period

Not much posting going on around here the past few days because I have been diligently trying to create a new and improved blog design that will be fantastico. 

COMMA HOWEVER

I just had to make mention of the interesting debate Tracey and I had the other day. (When are they ever NOT interesting when Jamie Fraser is involved?)

I finished listening to Outlander on audio last week... and can't get something out of my mind. All throughout the third sister's hilarity - and my design efforts of the weekend - I have been bothered by Jamie telling Murtagh to tell Claire that he wanted her to leave.

He told MURTAGH to give her such delicate news? That was a low point for Jamie. And please don't say "Carol he was just kidnapped, raped and almost hanged, of COURSE it was a low point." I get all of that. But to tell Claire to go back to where she came from was bad enough. To do it through MURTAGH - or ANYONE else for that matter... ugh. Just...not what I've come to expect from James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser.

One thing I kept telling Tracey was that I was so thoroughly impressed by Claire's non-wavering attitude about the whole thing. Never once did she crumble... or question Jamie's love for her... or think to herself "oh god! He wants me to leave?? Seriously?! But I thought he loved me! Can we not get past this? Does he not love me anymore? And how the hell would I get back at this point? Oh my GOD HE WANTS ME TO LEAVE!!" as I would have absolutely done - don't even doubt it for a minute. I would have flipped out in my head and rocked back and forth while sucking my thumb under a pew in the church at 2AM while watching the host on the alter. But not Claire. She's just all "Yeah - right - whatever, Jamie... I'll be back later and we'll see about that fever now shall we, hmmm? OK...Righty O...that's it... you rest now...kthxbye!"

Seriously. Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser is one bad-ass-mo-fo. If I could, I'd buy her a wallet like Jules' in Pulp Fiction. (That little comment is for Tracey because she loves herself some Pulp Fiction.)

PS - Y'all. It's time for a video, is it not? I'm thinking Tracey and I must Skype....STAT!

The Third Sister Finishes Outlander!

Just got this from my sister, Jill, who just finished Outlander and couldn't figure out how to leave a comment in the comments section. (Don't ask.) Enjoy!!

OK, so I decided to just give you my comments and you can post them if you like.  It will be so much easier.  Here goes:

1.  I don't consider myself a slow reader.  I'm an efficient reader.  Besides, it took me awhile to get used to all those dinnas and cannas and dunnas and ye's etc.  I was half way through the book before I realized "ken" meant "know".

2.  Yes, I meant Jenny.  Ellen is my pregnant grade partner with twin boys and I was reading about a woman with 2 fathers of her baby, I got confused.

3.  The page before the preview said, "And look for the NEXT installment of the acclaimed Outlander series.... Read on for a preview..."  I do what I'm told.

4.  Tell Karen it's actually the other way around.  How have I been able to hold out this long with my sisters being so addicted.  I've considered an intervention.

5.  Tracey, don't line up for any Academy award.  I knew in Carol's kitchen that I was in for a lot more violence.  How did I know?  FROM YOUR REACTION!

6.  Carol, don't profess to know whose name I call out in my sleep.  Just last night I took Jamie, I mean Howie, to our hot spring, I mean hot tub, but my breasts wouldn't float.

7.  No, I'm not a changeling, but that was a REALLY good movie years ago! 

8.  Now, I was a bit disappointed in my hero, Jamie, towards the end.  How many times did he come riding in on his white horse to save Claire?  My fictional heroes need to continue that no matter what happens.  But when he's dying he starts giving up and wants her to go back home.  Boohoo so you've been beaten, flogged, done up the ass, hand smashed and nailed to a table, blah blah blah.  Man up and be my hero without needing opium to do it!!  Reminds me a bit of Edward when he wussed out while Bella was pregnant.  Did I hit a nerve??

9.  After regaining consciousness at the suggestion of Jared Padelecki being Jamie, (great picture btw!  Carol, can you get me a poster of that pic for the ceiling above my bed?)  Anyway, Jared will always be my Sam Winchester and no one else.  Besides, he doesn't have red hair.  In my opinion, we haven't seen Jamie yet.  He should be a total unknown.

10.  Thank you for the opportunity to get all that off my chest.  Third sister, signing out.

Echo Excerpt in Outlander: WTF???

So my sister, Jill, just finished Outlander. (Give a collective cheer because she's only been reading it for about 6 months or so. And this WITH a trip to Italy, no less. LOTS of plane time... but I digress.)

And THIS is what I just get in my email box:

I finished the book.  I started reading the excerpt from the next book.  Who the heck is having a baby with 2 fathers????  And where is Ellen cause it keeps saying Ian.  And where are they????

Now... I'm not really sure WHY she's asking about Ellen. Does she mean Jenny? Ugh - whatevs. Anyway - whoever signed off on putting an Echo excerpt at the end of ANYTHING OTHER THAN A BREATH OF SNOW AND ASHES should have a SERIOUS talking-to by his or her boss.

(Please tell me it wasn't Diana. DOH!)

Outlander Chat Tonight

Outlander Chat - 9:00PM Eastern - TONIGHT!

Black Jack Randall is the Devil

Spoiler Alert: Dinna read unless you have read Dragonfly in Amber.

After a particularly busy weekend that involved a wedding, weekend guests and an invitation to a party at a local yacht club (dahhhling) - I finally got a quiet moment to sit down and blog this AM. Only problem - I'm having a really hard time. Why? Because I just got through the horrendous stretch of Jamie being kidnapped, tortured, raped, seasick and finally horrendously dazed and confused at the abbey. How do you banter about that? It was not easy to read - even a second time. Oh no it wasn't. And I knew it wouldn't be. As I've said so many times before in this series, I felt like Jesus at the Garden of Olives; Lord, please let this cup pass over me...

Here's the thing. As hard as it was to read all of that (well, listen to all of that) I keep thinking about Dragonfly. I keep wondering how Claire could have had a problem in the least with Jamie wanting to kill Jack Randall after all the things he did to Jamie - Frank or no Frank. But at the same time - I wonder how Jamie could have not have fallen at Claire's feet and begged for forgiveness at the country home in France when she had lost Faith and almost died. After everything SHE has been through - saving his life at the abbey - she deserved more than she got. Yes, yes, he told her how much he loved her and was so sad and blah blah blah - but come on now. I don't even see where conversation was needed. Only "Claire. I. Was. Wrong."

Now - do you see what a perplexing paradox this is for me?! I'm annoyed at HER for stopping him from killing Jack Randall - and I'm annoyed at HIM for not kissing her ass enough over him almost killing Jack Randall! Holy hell - I've confused the crap out of myself!

I will leave you with this thought, sassenachs: I'm headed to the sulfur spring. I feel like it's a fantastic dessert I have earned after long hours of hard work slaying dragons.

Let the swimming begin...