"RT Book Reviews" Interview with Diana Gabaldon at ComicCon NYC

"The Birth of the Kilt"

Just got this from Joy (DeltaTN) and it's a wee bit HILARIOUS!! Enjoy!

Outlander Chat Tonight

Outlander CHAT tonight at 9PM Eastern. Hmmm.... wonder what we'll talk about?

Our Trip to ComicCon to meet Diana Gabaldon

For those of you not inclined to watch the videos... (I can't imagine why! wink)

Tracey and I went to ComicCon in NYC on Friday with Jenn M and Shannon, our partners in Outlander crime. We dressed in shirts from the My Outlander Purgatory Shirt Shop - and I have to send a special Thank You to Shannon for not only finding us the $11 "kilts" at Target, but also designing AND bedazzling her own shirt. She's got a future in design (H&M, perhaps? LOL)

We flew through the drop off line  at school - hightailed it into the city - and felt a little strange in our "costumes" while walking to the convention. COMMA HOWEVER - we felt MUCH better when we got around the corner from the Jacob Javitz center and saw Captain Marvel and his wife Wonder Woman pushing their baby, Superman in a stroller. Our "costumes" paled in comparison.

The Javitz center is huge and after some maneuvering, we found ourselves at the door to the room where Diana Gabaldon was going to give her presentation. As people started flooding in, we were able to meet a TON of friends from the internet who participate in daily antics and hijinks with us at My Outlander Purgatory. Deb, Susan, Lady Jane, the ladies from Outlander Book club, PCost, Sally, Aida, Marlene, Erin, Brandy... the list is endless. As we were all getting to know each other in person, "Herself" walked in with the Editor of The Exile, Betsy Mitchell. I'll be honest; we were all a little starstruck.

At this point, Betsy Mitchell comes over to Tracey and me... and proceeds to tell us she saw our Exile video and thought it was really funny. My first question "Gulp - WHICH Exile video?" Lord knows WHAT I might have said in any given video. And it's always an odd feeling when someone tells you they saw your video in the first place. You make the things in the kitchen half the time...with no one else around to watch...and you can't really wrap your brain around people actually viewing them.  At any rate, we had a great conversation; Betsy is an absolute hoot and a pleasure to talk to. Then people started heading into the room. As Diana is walking in the doorway, I notice she's talking to Tracey... and I (quite foolishly) say "Hi. I'm Carol. I go with her" and point to Tracey. Really? REALLY Carol? "I go with her"???  I know, I know... quite underwhelming. (You should have seen me when I met John Taylor from Duran Duran in my 20s after loving his band for so many years. All I could spit out after 20 years of fandom was "Great show!" Not too cool... but I digress.)  I'm a better typist than talker, I suppose. Believe it or not, I'm actually a little shy. (Snicker. Stop laughing. It's true!)

OK - let's move on - Diana and Betsy gave a fantastic presentation about The Exile. How it was made - what it was like to work with Hoang Nguyen - what kind of changes were made to the original sketches, etc etc. I was like a little kid at the movies for the first time. I just sat and stared and took it all in. When you're as interested in a book series as I an in Outlander, it's an indescribable feeling to listen to its author discuss its making... and the making of its visual form. I was in heaven.

At the end of their presentation, they had a little treat. The played a fan video that showed two fans' reactions to some early excerpts of The Exile. It was a lot of fun to watch... and probably would have been even more fun if I wasn't CRAWLING UNDER MY SEAT IN HORROR because the big noggin on the screen was MINE!! No seriously - it was an unbelievable honor to watch Diana Gabaldon enjoying one of our videos. That's the ultimate honor, really... and it was thankfully bestowed on us.

AFTER the presentation, we all went upstairs to get our books signed by Diana. Her signing line was the largest in the Javitz center (poor Richard Hatch) - which wasn't odd as The Exile is the best selling graphic novel in the country, let alone the convention center. While in line, Tracey and I were asked to give an interview to Random House - and enjoyed every second of our 15 minutes of fame (make that 12.) Diana signed my book "To Carol (filmstar!)" and I cannot tell you how great that made me feel. Even though I wasn't capable of forming many words,  she still made me feel special.

OK - SO - after this we all went to dinner at St. Andrews in NYC - and a special THANK YOU goes out to Sheila from Compuserve for arranging this. We were sitting there enjoying libations with other fans when "Herself" - Diana - walked in - and we were all shocked/thrilled/humbled that she'd actually choose to have dinner with the fans. At this, antics and hijinks ensued at our table (see my pitiful attempt at jokes from the videos for reference) and a great time was had by all.

Later in the evening, when it was appropriate (and the poor woman wasn't trying to actually eat her dinner) we approached Diana and gave her a shirt I had made for her. It said, simply, "Herself" on the front... with myoutlanderpurgatory.com on the back. She stood there and listened to a group of us tell her our stories for a good long while... and I cannot tell you how that made me feel. To have someone whose books are so important in your life actually care about what you have to say is a breath of fresh air in a world where almost everyone is too busy or too important to bother with the likes of us.

Sooooo - that is my (very long) story about meeting Diana Gabaldon - and I wouldn't change a thing. She's truly an amazing woman and I look forward to her future works with an eagerness I canna even describe, lassies.  If she writes it - I'll read it.

And that's all I've got to say about that.

My Outlander Purgatory Meets Diana Gabaldon at the 2010 NYC ComicCon

We're Not Worthy!

We have met Herself. Seriously guys... Diana Gabaldon is ridiculously friendly to her fans. And as Tracey so eloquently put, "patient". She came to dinner..even though there were 45 people there (which would have scared the pantalones off me if I were her) and talked to everyone. She let a million people take photos...and graciously listened to all of our stories about why we love Outlander. Oh and by the way... She is stunning. Literally...stunning. More later...with pictures. :)

Diana at Dinner

Just had to let you know we are at dinner at St. Andrews in NYC and "Herself" - Diane Gabaldon - is here. More later!!!

Scottish Halloween Costume

Got this from Diane in GA. Holy crap I laughed right out loud!

Do you think your husbands or boyfriends will be interested in wearing this? Something tells me.. um...NO! LOL!  Can you even imagine walking into a Halloween party with someone dressed like this? I'll tell you one thing... he'd better have the pects to go with it! ;) 

Danny Bhoy - Visitor's Guide to Scotland

Heard about this today from my friend Hugh from Scotland.  It's really funny. Careful at work or around kiddies; it's a little colorful in spots.

Outlander for Kindle FREE on Amazon!

SPECIAL BULLETIN: Outlander for KINDLE is now FREE on Amazon!  And apparently there is BONUS CONTENT - I'm told it's A Reader's Guide to Outlander" by Catherine MacGregor!

Thanks to Amanda for sending this in!

Druidry recognised as religion in Britain for first time

What does THIS remind you of?!?

Katherine Heigl Can Definitely Look the Part of Claire in Outlander

I have always said that Emma Samms - young and older - would be my ultimate Claire.

She was so attractive and had that spunky attitude and wasn't about to take any shite from anyone (at least not on General Hos-pi-TAL!)

Well this morning, Jenn M - who will be with Tracey, Shannon and me at ComicCon, YES! - sent me this photo of Katherine Heigl with dark hair. So you can imagine the double-take I did when I looked at the photo.

Let me ask you this: If Gwyneth Paltrow can win an Oscar for her stellar performance as an English woman in Shakespeare in Love... why can't Katherine Heigl do a bang-up job in Outlander? Only time will tell... I realize. But she's no fool. If these rumors are true, I bet she's brushing up on her British accent right now.

Outlander Fans Outside the US

I know we have some friends overseas who were frustrated about not being able to purchase The Exile. You all helped me out when I was down and out... so when I found out Diana Gabaldon has some info on her latest blog post about this - I wanted to post it.

Thanks to Karen from Outlandish Observations for pointing this out!

Outlander Chat Tonight

Outlander chat tonight at 9PM Eastern. Tracey is on vacation and will most likely not attend (unless she sends her unsuspecting hubby to the hotel bar for a beer and the game?!)

Outlander Scarf Kits!

Thanks to DIANE for this awesome info about Clan Tartan Scarf kits from Knitters Brewing Company. SO cool. I might have to learn how to knit!!! Scarves are SO in right now - and I'm so thrilled because I wear them all winter - in or out. They just make me happy and you can change your look in a microsecond with one! I actually bought a Fraser hunting tartan scarf at the Scottish festival I went to this summer with Jenn M and Shannon... but this is a WARM scarf, whereas that one was just for show. So GIDDYAP and buy a kit!!

So I Married an Axe Murderer

"So I Married an Axe Murderer" - So funny I canna contain myself!

Scotch Naturals

Check out this WAY COOL nail polish line sent in by Estee - it's called Scotch Naturals and it's an all natural line of nail polish that has a Scottish theme. It started by a woman who started a natural nail polish line for kids - Hopscotch. WAIT till you see how positively Scottish it is... and we all know that...


...IF IT'S  NOT SCOTTISH, IT'S CRAP!!!

Judge Not...Lest Ye Be Judged

Emmy win. That's all I'm saying. 

Katherine Heigl as Claire in Diana Gabaldon's OUTLANDER?!?

So apparently Katherine Heigl is interested in going from cutting LVAD wires to cutting sutures and herbs. I dinna know what to make of this, my friends.

My first reaction? WHAT THE %$#@???   Are you INSANE?!? Katherine Heigl is not ENGLISH!!!

My second reaction?  Um. Hmmm. Ya know... as much as every fiber of my being is telling me to hate this... I don't.

One thing I want to remind you before I go any further: Actors are not the parts they play. Just because she did an amusing little movie called "Knocked Up", it does not mean she can't do a perfectly good job in a drama. 

Case in point: if you've ever seen Love Comes Softly, you know Katie Heigl can handle a period piece. (I had to call her "Katie" as I once saw Jeffrey Dean Morgan - aka Denny Duquette - do that in an interview and it was totes cute.) And if you've seen the film, you also know she can play a strong-willed woman on her own in the middle of a terrifying situation that is completely foreign to anything she's every been though before.

Having said that.. Can she do an English accent??? THAT, friends, is the question.

Bottom line -  I am not hating this. Am I loving it? No. But it's the unknown....and only time will tell. Especially when Diana, herself, does not seem to know a thing about it:

@MyOutlanderPurg Nope. Hadn't seen that! #blinking

And - there doesn't seem to be a (decent) screenplay even written at this time. Either Katherine Heigl knows something even the author does not know... or she's got one hell of a PR sense...and knows how to get her name out there for wanted projects. And is a monstrous Outlander fan.

I prefer to go with scenario numero dos.

PS - HOW 'BOUT SOME PROPS FOR KATHERINE HEIGL FOR MENTIONING A LITTLE BOOK SERIES CALLED OUTLANDER, MMMMKAYYYYYYYYY???? WHOOO HOOO!!!

Deep (Jack Randall) Thoughts

SPOILER ALERT: Dinna read unless you have read Dragonfly in Amber.

Ya know, I don't think I've ever truly pondered what went down between Jamie and Black Jack Randall when they dueled. Or maybe it's just been a damn long time and my memory is not what it used to be. I have to go back through the blog archives.

Here's what's on my mind: Jamie didn't kill Black Jack. Now... did he do that on purpose, to appease Claire? So he could say "But I didna kill him - I only maimed him!"

But... he maimed him in such a way he'd never be able to father a child, right? Meaning Frank would never have been born - at least that's what Jamie and Claire thought at the time. (Yes I know Jack's brother was the real great great great whatever grandfather).

So what's the diff? Why not just go all the way with that sword and toast him for good?? He's still alive and can now continue to hurt others - winky or no winky.

What say y'all? Am I forgetting something? I must be. Why have I never pondered this before??

Blue Moon Magnolia

SPOILER ALERT: DINNA read unless you have read A Breath of Snow and Ashes.

Writing this blog is a ton of fun. And because we are Outlander-obsessed, we get a lot of email from die hard Outlander fans, just like us. And sometimes, because life is hectic, I drop the ball.

HO. LY. CRAP did I drop the ball with MOP bud, Blue Moon Magnolia.  BMM emailed me before The Exile came out and told me about a painting that Diana Gabaldon based the from-behind, er, em, well, BEHIND shot of Jamie in The Exile.  It's called An Académie. BMM confirmed this with DG - and I completely forgot to blog about it. My apologies to BMM! GO CHECK OUT HER BLOG. It ROCKS.

OK - so here's ANOTHER thing BMM just told us and I must post this, too. So she's going to the same beach in North Carolina for 28 years (38th Street Beach in Ocean City, New Jersey much, Tracey???)and just recently realizes it's the same beach Josiah Martin fled from to get to the HMS Cruizer in A Breath of Snow and Ashes. Um HELLO??? How cool is THAT??? That is one of my favorite storylines from all of the books. Claire and her transcriptions... Jamie coming quietly in the mist to rescue her... it's just so poignant.

OK - SO - make sure you visit Blue Moon Magnolia's blog, which can now be found in the My Outlander Purgatory links.

Sleep Tight...YEAH RIGHT!

Can someone please tell me why there is a BEDBUG epidemic in NYC NOW??? I've been waiting all year to go to this damned ComicCon and meet Diana Gabaldon...and now I've got to worry about BEDBUGS?!

What am I, CLAIRE????????

My Response to Comments from our Exile Video

These are my comments to your comments about the Exile Video blog entry. I got a Blogger hand slap for trying to post such a massive comment -  so I'm going to post them here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Delta - that rocks. I love this kind of stuff in the books. There is so much room for Diana to play, it's not even funny. LUVS IT!

Jeanie - they are real! They are, they ARE! ;)  LOL You cracked me up. You're so right. Sometimes it makes me sad that they're not real. But as long as DG keeps writing - they kindof are, right?

Rochelle: "Little old troll man" made my damn day. Right - a "mash up" is perfect. That's what they were. And while I don't love the idea... I can understand why they had to do it that way.

Brandy - No clue how far off I am but I say "Geel-is" or "Geel-ee" and "La-hair". Unless I'm calling her, LegHair, LegWhore, Wee Ho, or any number of lovely things we've come up with in the past year of reading. ;)

Terry - GREAT point re: Jamie's height. And that truly is something that we have every right to nitpick.

Bretam - absolutely. I mean- it was uncanny. I wonder if Sean Bean knows. Hmmm... maybe My Outlander Purgatory should email him... double hmm....

Lisa - it's funny - I haven't picked it up in a few days... so I wonder if I could have left it and not bought it. Nah. LOL But my hub has been reading it today. He's digging it. I wonder why? (ahem boobage, ahem.)

DedaMc97 - Yup. I'm with ya.

Jessica - THANKS. Now that's a compliment!!

Sally - My mouth is a agape. Wow. Great concepts. A free Scotland in 1999. I've always thought how much I'd love to turn on the Olympics and see "Scotland" representing itself... and not as the United Kingdom. (No offense to any of you from the UK, mind... I just get sad when Scotland doesn't get to stand up and... be). LOVE LOVE LOVE that you just put "we think" about Geillie's death. I've always taken it for granted because she seemed to bite it in the cave - but more importantly because of the bones in Joe Abernathy's office. But wowwy macwowwy. What if she didn't? WHAT a thing to ponder!!!  Looking forward to discussing at length in NYC! :)

Adventures North - LOL! Tracey will say I'm Regis. I don't know that either of us will win in this sitch. As much as I find both Regis and Kelly amusing, one of us has to be the clueless old guy and one of us has to be the stereotypical dumb blonde. Personally I think I have a lot of practice at the latter. ;)

You just nailed what I love most: What did Frank know? What did Frank do? I'm on Dragonfly and Claire just mentioned a trip Frank took to France. I have made it up in my brain that Frank took a summer away and actually traveled through the stones and is going to show up in Book 8. That would be the best present EVAH.

Stephlav - YOU AND ME BOTH, BABY!!! I AM SO with ya on that one. I hated the French girl! Then again - I had an incredibly hard time dealing with the Indian squaws, too... and yet - the LegHair marriage barely bothered me. Go figure!!!

Josie - Yesssssss!!! RIGHT! He was about to jump in the sack with Little Miss France! What was THAT all about?!? My god I canna even THINK about the possibility. My blood boils! And yup - Claire's boobs bothered me. And I'm tired of people saying "That's how it is in GN's" (including my HUSBAND who doesn't seem to mind) I GET IT. BOOBS ARE MASSIVE IN THE COMICS. I expected them to be big. I just didn't expect them to take on a life of their own and seem to jump up in my face and sing the national anthem every time I turned the page.

MichelleKCanada - LOL Lagobitch. That's awesome.

Sirena - No I don't think you're a loser. We all have our little DG quirks. Mine is avoiding everything that has anything to do with upcoming storylines...to the extent that I have still not decided what I'm going to do if my favorite author of all time decides to read some of her upcoming work at ComicCon. Seriously. If I can do it inconspicuously, I may actually get up and walk out. NOW who's the loser??

Amber - it's at the end when Jamie is on the ship back to the US with Jenny. Let us know when you find it!!

Megs - wow - brills theory on Jamie projecting his feelings for the French girl onto Claire! I don't know if I'm down with it -but it's still a neat thing to ponder! I think Jamie was drawn to Claire from day 1 (second 1) because she was from the future and had spunk and confidence and wasn't afraid to use her brains.. and Jamie was so smart and educated and really felt like he'd met his match. AND she was attractive with big boobage... and most likely way more attractive and groomed than what he had seen up until meeting her. (Wow I don't think I've ever voiced that. Hmmm. Might have to be a blog post.) As far as the way Jamie's face looks: Couldn't agree more. His face-changes are almost as distracting as Claire's bigguns.

Anonymous - verra interesting thought! But DG has already said the big chap (ew Frank speak, ew cooties) was Jamie's ghost. I canna WAIT until that is revealed! (Actually I can because that will mean the series is over and I don't know how I'll withstand that pain. I've already lived it with Twilight; I canna do it again.)

Beth - I just laughed heartily right out loud. "Super-Duper-Mega all-powerful traveler" is DA BOMB. Luvs it. I MUST use that on the blog soon. I'll give you credit. :)

ComicCon NYC 2010 - ROLLCALL

ComicCon is quickly approaching, y'all.

If you're going to be in NYC on October 8th and/or 9th - comment here and let us know!

At this point, the My Outlander Purgatory girls are planning on hitting up Jock Tamson's Bairns on Saturday - it's the only truly Scottish owned-and-operated bar in the city. We hope to be there at around 4PM if anyone is staying the weekend! Keep in mind that JTB's is a small place that doesn't serve food. But the whisky. My GOD, the whisky. And did I mention the real life Highlander behind the bar - Aiden MACKENZIE -  who actually used the term "sassenach" in casual conversation? Oh yeah. I thought I did.

Hope to see you all in NYC!!

PS - Sorry we'll miss those of you who aren't going but I haven't given up on my Purgatory Tour of Scotland just yet. We'll get there! No worries!! ;)

Outlander Chat Tonight!

Chat tonight! 9:00PM Eastern. LOTS to discuss, y'all!   Page 5, much?!? :) 

YOU'RE WELCOME

Discussing Diana Gabaldon's "The Exile"

"No Spoilers" Reminder

From time to time, Diana releases spoilers from "Book 8" on her website - and I avoid them like the plague.  Feel free to mention that Diana has a "Book 8 Excerpt" in the comments section - and even provide a URL or link to her website - but please don't describe the excerpt or talk about which storyline it is about.

Yes, I am that bad... and I TOTALLY APPRECIATE your help. :)

Sincerely,
The Spoiler Spaz

Photos of Fraser's Ridge

SPOILER ALERT: Dinna read unless you have read Drums of Autumn. 

Did I ever post the link to JenniferTN's photos from her visit to North Carolina? These are truly awesome.

The other day Shannon said to me "I miss the Ridge" in a very somber tone. I tend to concur. I never thought I'd say that... but it's true.

THANK YOU!!!

My comment from my last entry; I had to post it just in case it's missed over there: 

You guys are all so awesome. I can't believe we've got friends in Canada and Australia waiting for their books too! (Well I CAN believe it but I love that you guys hang here in Purgatory with us and it's TOMORROW for Josie!) : )

Having said that - I got the book - I finished the book - I made a video with Tracey. My apologies because it's going to be longgggg. But not a stone was left unturned!

My absolute THANKS to all of you who "held my hand" while I was waiting for my book....

My absolute GOOD SHIPPING VIBES to those of you who haven't received the book yet - and I promised you, it is definitely worth the wait!

I GOT IT!!!!!!!!

IT'S HERE! IT'S HERE! IT'S HERE!

Gotta go read!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PS - I am still commiserating with those of you who haven't gotten it yet. LET ME KNOW!!!

Outlander CHAT

Hey all - dinna forget about the PURGATORY CHAT ROOM! I know those of you who have The Exile are dying to discuss - so get in there and TALK ABOUT IT!!!  I'm sure Tracey will pop in on and off if she's free at work.

ALSO - Is anyone interested in setting up a daytime chat anywhere between  9:00AM and 2:00PM Eastern?  I got a request for a daytime chat - and that works for y'all over in Scotland, England and Ireland as well!  Post a comment if you're interested!!

My Mailbox

Just two, lone Netflix movies...waiting to be picked up. I am still laughing at the anonymous poster who said she's going to take a lawn chair and some Pinot down to her mailbox and sit there. ROFLMAO!!! That makes me feel like people are here with me, holding my hand through my Exile vigil. 

The Day After

So my copy of The Exile didn't come yesterday. And I lived. And once again - I wait. Here's my agenda for the day:

8:00: Drop kids at school
8:30: Yoga
9:44: Check the mail
9:45: Shower
10:14: Check the mail
10:15: Make a cup of coffee
10:16: Read The Exile if it came
10:16a: Wait if The Exile did not come

I'll keep y'all posted. My sincere condolences to those of you - like me - who didn't get your copies.

My absolute joy for those of you who did. I canna WAIT to discuss with all of you.

Post Scriptum: Please keep your fingers crossed for me as I will most assuredly end up in a rubber room if that damned book does not show up at my dwelling today.

Post Scriptum Scriptum: Yes, I know I can go to Barnes and Noble but it's the principle of it. I ordered the book and I'm waiting for the book. I'm also just as stubborn about those shopping carts where you have to return the damn thing to get your quarter back. I buck the system. I say "eff you" to "the man" and I give my cart to someone and I don't ask for my quarter back. Not only do I feel like I'M in control.... but getting that quarter really makes some people's day. :)

No Exile Depressed Food Consumption Update #1

I just ate a spoonful of blue cheese dressing - straight.

Are You There God? It's Me, Carol.

WHY GOD? WHY?!?

Oh this is bad. This is really, really bad. I have now broken out the potato chips. While I'm MAKING DINNER.

WHY? WHY? (yelled like Nancy Kerrigan)

(Nancy, if you're a fan of Outlander, I apologize for that and totally wanted you to win.)

The Exile gods are NOT smiling down on me today...

2:25 PM and I still don't have it. It's coming via USPS... and my mail has already arrived today. Now - usually a book will arrive separately because it's too large for the mailbox. But the separate deliveries usually come in the AM.

I'm heading over to the Post Office now...to see if they can help me or give me any info.

I'll keep you posted. (NO PUN INTENDED!!!!!!)

PS - Nope. Not going to Barnes and Noble. I ordered it. I'm waiting for it. I'll know better next time.

THE EXILE ROLLCALL

Consider this a Gathering.

Who's gotten theirs?!?

Let's hear it!!!! (But no spoilers yet as I havena gotten mine!!!!)

Diana Gabaldon's "The Exile": Today's the Day!!!!

Whereisit?Whereisit?Whereisit?Whereisit?Whereisit?!?

I have checked my front stoop no less than 3 times already; maybe four.

My copy of The Exile is coming via US Postal Service - and usually when I get something larger than an envelope, my postman makes a special trip to my house in the mail truck. If it comes via regular mail, it'll be here around noon, 1:00.

(If it doesna show today you will all here me crying all the way from your respective states.)

I am sending you all good Exile vibes (new Jamie... NEW JAMIE!!!!!!!!)

The Purgatory Tour of Scotland

OK so Tracey and I are in hysterics on the phone, pseudo-planning the Purgatory Tour through Scotland with y'all that we just joked about on Monday night Chat. Tracey and I decided we should give our own, personalized tour of the Outlander sights... complete with Chardy and Pinot for all! (Plain ol' Coca Cola's welcome!)

I am wiping away the tears because I just told Tracey the following:

If I were sober at Culloden, I'd be a weepy mess. But if I were drunk at Culloden, I'd probably throw myself on the moor and cling to the Fraser marker. Then I said "Tracey, can't you see the photo now? You and I on either side of the Fraser marker with wine glasses in our hands?!" (I hope y'all know I'd never actually do this).

Then Tracey decided that she and I are the Patsy and Eddie of Outlander.

I canna type any more...I am laughing too hard!!!!!

Is this Adso?!

Got this Paw Nation article about the "Scottish Fold" from our dear friend Christie!!!

Isn't Adso cute?!

I get that this cat is Scottish and Adso was American... but let's just pretend, shall we? Mmmmkay....

Outlander Chat Tonight

9PM Eastern - Chat tonight - Gee.... wonder what we'll talk about... hmmmmmm....

****UPDATE****  IF you have already read The Exile - absolutely NO SPOILERS will be allowed at chat!! Not even the slightest of hints or innuendo! PLEASE!! 

Thanks for your cooperation, lassies. Y'all know I'm a spoiler freak.

Need Your Diana Scientific Fix? Just Read Twitter!

Holy crap. So I've been missing Diana's natural remedies and scientific tidbits lately... and I go to Twitter to answer a question from Tracey... and what do I see?

And honest to god, I felt comforted.  Like Mrs. Bug had just made me a big, ol' bowl of parritch with bacon and bannocks....and the actual coffee was flowing, instead of the acorn coffee that I assume made poor Claire want to throw up in her mouth a little.

Am I the only one who wishes Diana would write a book of natural remedies and helpful information for women (sorry Richard and Charles, etc!) that would be easy to understand in that language we've all come to know and love???

The Most Beautiful Email in the World

From: "Amazon.com"
Date: September 19, 2010 4:31:06 PM EDT
Subject: Your Amazon.com order has shipped

Greetings from Amazon.com.

We thought you'd like to know that we shipped your items, and that this
completes your order.  Your order is being shipped and cannot be changed
by you or by our customer service department.

The following items have been shipped to you by Amazon.com:
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Qty                           Item    Price         Shipped Subtotal

  1  The Exile: An Outlander Gr...   $13.50               1   $13.50
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Shipped via USPS

Dear Jamie

SPOILER ALERT: Dinna read unless you have a) seen "Dear John" and b) have read Dragonfly in Amber.

I was just watching "Dear John" with my hub... again. I love that film. Hub likes it but they lose him toward the end when Savannah gives John this speech and tells him how life was just as hard for her as it was for him while he was off fighting. And my husband's like "oh PLEASE! POOR YOU!" at the TV. "He's off risking his life and she's home and she thinks she has it as hard as HE does?!"

And of course this reminded me of Jamie and Claire. I'm uber-sensitive right now because I'm teetering on the brink of insanity, reading Dragonfly whilst waiting for The Exile to come out on Tuesday. And it hit me all of a sudden today.... the reason DinA was so difficult for me to get through in the beginning is because we know - beyond the shadow of a doubt - that Jamie Fraser never got to raise or even see his baby girl. We know that Bree knew nothing but Frank Randall as a father... and we know that Claire went back through the stones pregnant. So even during the first read, when we're walking around in a daze because we don't know why Claire went back... we know what didn't happen. And that's upsetting as hell.

And that's why some of us have such a hard time seeing Claire's life without Jamie as being as difficult as Jamie's life without Claire...no matter how many of Frank's boring stories Claire had to suffer through. (And lorddddddd she suffered through them. Of that, I'm sure.)

Now here is a random Channing Tatum shot because I just like looking at him. So what if his eyes are kindof cat like and he's got high cheekbones and a reddish tinge to his hair and a long straight nose and monstrous shoulders? So what?! He's not even Scottish. He's not even British for that matter. Can you imagine his Scottish accent? It's probably horrible! (Keep telling yourself that, Carol... just keeeeep telling yourself that...)

House of RFyre: OUTLANDER Style!

The houseofrfyre.com "Clan Series" might be THE COOLEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN!!!!

More Jamie and Claire Lovin'...

These were sent in by a My Outlander Purgatory pal... who shall remain nameless by her own request. She says it's "Claire with Pocket Allan playing Pocket Jamie".  I say it's pretty darned amusing. Note the blanket properly covering them in photo #1... and look at the tiny sword in photo #2! Outstanding!

NovelsAlive Interview: Diana Gabaldon talks "The Exile"

THE EXILE IS COMING!!!!!

The Great Dragonfly ReRead

SPOILER ALERT: Dinna read unless you have read the first few chapters of Dragonfly in Amber. 

Wow. Just... wow. What a difference a new read makes. The first time I read DinA - I was lost without Jamie in the beginning. I couldn't get past my shock and general confusion at the 20 years that had passed to really enjoy what was happening. But now? Oh. My. God. I keep crying!  I was on the treadmill this AM and every time I hit a new paragraph I was in tears! I just kept marveling over Bree. She's JAMIE'S DAUGHTER!!!!  I kept thinking "Oh my god, how lucky for Claire that SHE HAD BREE". Every day - she had a MAJOR piece of Jamie- right there - to look at, talk to, hug and kiss... And Jamie had nothing. Not one thing that reminded him of Claire,  save his imagination and memories. Then again - some would argue that it wasn't luck that Claire had Bree - that it might have been just the opposite. Every day she had to see Jamie in Bree's face - and know he was gone.

Oh god I think need to go lie down. Seriously. During my first read I didn't really dwell on ANY of this because I was so upset and freaked out that 20 years had passed... and I couldn't do anything but try to crack the code of how we were going to get back to Jamie.

But this time?? I cried when Roger went to Lallybroch. I cried when Bree's foot was sticking out of the bed. I cried when Claire knocked over the whisky glasses and I cried when Roger found "James Fraser" in the records.

Oh it's WONDERFUL!!!!  Positively DELICIOUS!!!

PS - Is it a little odd that I am almost jealous of all the boxes of books and paperwork that Roger gets to go through? He's totally dreading it because of his emotional attachment to the reverend. But not me!  I love history and geneaology and would be salivating at the prospect of going through all those Culloden records and information.

Frank and "Black Jack" Randall: Another Lightbulb Moment

I'm watching Sherlock Holmes....and I feel like the Frank/Black Jack Randall answer has been right here, under my nose the whole time!  Attractive.. Distinguished..  And able to look downright sinister.

Yup.

Jude. 
Law.

What say you?

Another Great Outlander Chat

Thanks all for another great Outlander chat! I'm so glad I got to make it for a bit!

As I mentioned, I am in the beginning of my Dragonfly in Amber reread... and it's a little slow going. Let's be honest - when you're stuck in the manse with Roger (not that I don't love me some Roger) and you see no end to the 20th centrury in site... well, you get a little frustrated. But as I mentioned at chat tonight, my crazy couple of weeks have let up...so I have more time to read, and will be blogging about Dragonfly verra soon, lads and lassies. Verra soon indeed...

Outlander Chat Tonight

Chat tonight at 9PM Eastern - it's going to be a good one, too. Karen had lunch with Diana last week and will hopefully have lots of details!  AND - there's a certain photo everyone's talking about that I'm sure will come up tonight.

Having said that... I am SO SORRY... but I canna be at chat because I am meeting with a friend from California tonight. I have created a few blogs for him (that are really special to me and I WILL be linking to MOP soon) and I can actually sit and talk with him about them in person; not just via email. So - please know that I would NOT miss chat unless it were truly important.

Tracey will be there tonight and I want ALL THE DEETS!!!!

Keep. Effing. VOTING!!!!

Seriously. This is huge. KEEP VOTING!  Every day!

Quick! Go Vote for Diana!!!!

Quick! Go and Vote for Diana Gabaldon as your favorite author at the Library of Congress' National Book Festival!

The Wedding Night you WON'T See in Diana Gabaldon's "The Exile"

Alright y'all. I have gotten lots of email, asking if I've seen it. And yes; I've seen it.

LORDDDDDDDDDDDDDD HAVE I SEEN IT!

Thoughts? LET'S HEAR 'EM.

And I'll share a little of my own:  I'm not 100% OK with this picture. I'm glad it's been changed. How's about THAT!!!

Wait A Week Mystery

I've got a cool new blog for you to check out... a blog by none other than our own My Outlander Purgatory friend Christie! Christie is a HUGE FAN of the Outlander series... and has written a novel or two of her own. She is making one public on her blog "Wait A Week Mystery" and you can check it out here.  She's posting a chapter a week... how much fun is that?? So go check it out - and make sure you comment! Cuz all bloggers loveeeeeee comments! :)

Labor Day: No Official Outlander Chat Tonight

We will not have an official chat tonight because of the Labor Day holiday. However - feel free to stop in and use the room if you're free and feel like talkin' some Outlander!

If you live in the US, I hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

A Lightbulb Moment

I canna believe I never saw this before. Hayley Atwell blew me away in The Pillars of the Earth. Is it possible? Could she be... Claire?  Wow. Just... wow. I loved her from the second she appeared on screen in the first episode. Now I'm wondering if my heart thought so all along.. but my brain just had to catch up.

And PS - gee how odd that I, of all people, should sneak in a little Eddie Redmayne being his usual gorgeous self?

Post Scriptum Scriptum: Spoiler Alert! If you are still reading The Pillars of the Earth - you may want to skip this video!

New Purgatory Video: We Discuss "The Making of The Exile"!

Outlandish Observations: THE EXILE in the UK

Hey if you live in the UK and want to buy "The Exile", check out Karen's recent blog post over at Outlandish Observations!

The Making of the Exile by Diana Gabaldon

Holy mother of god on high. Water. PLEASE!! I NEED WATER! Something! SMELLING SALTS?! HOW am I going to STAND IT when this graphic novel comes out?!? I'm dying already!!! 

Scroll down. LORDDDDDDDDD SCROLL DOWN!!!

 

"The" Outlander Bracelet!

Hey All - I have some news from MaryFaithPeace over at Etsy about her BEAUTIFUL Outlander charm bracelet!

The price for the bracelet is going up - for various reasons.

Faith sometimes uses different charms but since she's gotten so many orders, she is going to make one bracelet - en mass - so that they're always available. The one being sold on Etsy will be a standard "ready-made-dinna-wanna-wait" version. THAT one will have the standard charms (ones Faith has chosen) on it and is currently at the shop for $75. Creating it takes money and time. (Lordddddd lots of time!) You can, however,  still request to customize your charms and/or re-size your bracelet - just let her know when you get in touch with her.

Also - Faith has to deal with rising costs at Etsy, Paypal and USPS.

And BECAUSE SHE'S SO AWESOME - she will make the charm bracelet available at the $60 price point until September 30th for My Outlander Purgatory customers only!!  You can contact her via email (maryfaithpeace@gmail.com) - or through Etsy - and make sure to say you are a friend to My Outlander Purgatory! But hurry - after September 30th, the price goes up to $75!

 Trust me: You. Will. Love. This. Bracelet!!!!

PS - Have you already bought an Outlander charm bracelet from MaryFaithPeace at Etsy? If so - we would LOVE IT if you could send us a photo of you wearing your bracelet for the blog!!

Book 8 Wishlist: Question #1

OK. Fine. I'll admit it. I want some kind of situation with Bree and Roger. Bree loses her job? Nah. A problem with their kids? ZZZ. Nono - what I want to see is quite simple:

One of them has an admirer.

What say YOU?

POST Scriptum: Let me clarify. I don't just want an admirer... I want someone to "test their love" as Jenn M has so eloquently put it in the past.

Post Scriptum Scriptum: I dinna mean "What do you think will happen". I mean "What would you like to see happen?" It. Could. Be. Anything!  Be creative lads and lassies! :)

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....