Scotsman.com

Want to find out what's going on in Scotland today?  Check out Scotsman.com.  Tremendous website, chock full of Scottish goodness.

Site Maintenance

I am messing around with the site design tonight...so please forgive me if it's looking a bit wonky!

Kilted Men in the Streets

Outlander to Air on Starz

Tremendous announcement today that Outlander will be developed by Starz!  I am thrilled.  I watched both the "Pillars of the Earth" miniseries and the "Camelot" series on Starz and thought they were both done beautifully and extremely well cast.

And speaking of casting...I find it interesting that two people near the top of my short list for Jamie an Claire were on both of the aforementioned shows.  Hayley Atwell was in Pillars and Philip Winchester was in Camelot.  So at least I know Starz appreciates solid acting.

Holy CASTING, Batman.  Do you know what this means?? STARZ has already been named...it's only a matter of time before we find out about actors.  (insert nervous giggling here)

Here is a scene from the Starz series, "The Pillars of the Earth".  If Outlander is anything like this, I will be beside myself.  (And I will use any excuse to post this Eddie Redmaye clip.  I'm so shameless.)

Outlander Chat Tonight - Carol and Tracey Iffy

Here is the deal for tonight's chat:

- I am washing uniforms for members of the National Guard who are working in my area and have to make a pick-up tonight 9:30...which will cut into chat time.  (Geez - who do these disaster relief people think they ARE, messing with my Jamie Fraser time??) ;)   I will try to get there for a few minutes at 9:00.

- Tracey has been hostessing for those in her town without power this week and isn't sure how many people she'll have tonight - or how long they'll stay...so she's not sure if she'll be able to chat.

That said, chat should go on!  Please proceed with or without us and we will do our very best to get there!  :)

Someone to Watch Over Me: MOP Friend JC Bodden Answers Questions About Her First Novel

OK y'all - listen up.  One of our good Outlander buds at MOP wrote a book called "Someone to Watch Over Me".  This book got me through Hurricane Sandy at the Jersey shore!  I have to say - I really enjoyed it!  After I finished, I emailed (the author, someone we all know and love from MOP Chat) to ask her some questions about the book.  Below are my questions...followed by her answers.  And a hottie pattotie photo of her hubby.  HEY now.  My suggestion?  Bookmark this page...go read the book...then come back and check out what JC has to say!

SPOILER ALERT:  The following contains spoilers about

Someone to Watch Over Me by J C Bodden!!

- WHAT made you come up with the idea for this book? 

- ANYONE you see in your mind when you think of Joe or any of the main characters?  (You know how I love to "see" it in my mind!)  

- WHY did Wagner smell like cigarettes and alcohol when he walked by Joe after he stabbed Amy?  Was he out getting schnockered at the local gin mill just prior?  Or was it done to throw the reader?  This made me think the killer wasn't Wags.  Brills on your part!

- WHAT ever happened to Joe’s father?  I hope it was something bad.  (Does that shower me with bad karma if these are fictional characters?) 

- WHAT is the new book about?  Assuming another mystery that revolves around Jennie's dad??

- WILL we see more Joe?!?!  (Lordddddddd...need to see more Joe!)  

I actually came up for the idea for this book long ago when I was a Resident Advisor in college at Auburn University - although there were more of us (one RA per hall) then than just the 'Jennie' character. There was a 'urban myth' about our particular dorm that a maintenance man actually did have a little hidey-hole up in the attic and drilled holes through the ceiling so he could spy on the girls below. I lived on the top floor of the dorm, so it was like our own personal ghost story that we would tell just to scare the bejeebers out of each other.  One time some of the other girls on the hall drew a picture of a blood shot eyeball with the words 'He's watching you!' and taped it on the ceiling right above my top bunk pillow so I didn't notice it until I laid down that night to go to sleep! Some of the other stuff mentioned - the water heaters going out, the fire alarm set off in the middle of the night - really did happen. But no one was ever murdered or kidnapped while I was there. And I don't know for sure if there was ever a creepy attic guy. :) 

When I first started writing the story, in keeping with that original myth, the bad guy was Joe, the maintenance guy... but as I wrote his character more and more I couldn't help but first of all, feel sorry for the little kid and then, later, fall in love with the adult. So, of course, he couldn't be the bad guy! And then, when I went back and read what I had wrote, I realized that Joe Haliday was basically my own dear husband - Jay! Well, now, let me back up. Jay is not deaf. Nor did he have a neglected childhood living with an alcoholic mother and then an indifferent father. And his eyes are green, not shockingly blue. But otherwise, yeah... Joe = Jay. Hell, they even have the same initials! I'll send you a picture of Jay in college so you can see what I mean.

HOT, party of THIS guy!

Wagner is a combination of two people I actually know also - looks-wise and personality-wise. Looks - one of my son's baseball coaches and personality - one of my former boyfriends. And I'm not saying anything more on that! (Although, once again, no one was ever killed or kidnapped or whatever. Plus, no animals were harmed in the making of this movie...)

As to Wagner's state when he walked by Joe after stabbing Amy... yeah, he was out getting a little lit up just before the attack - probably as a way to bolster his courage, the little shit. And also, he was good at pulling the wool over everyone's eyes, wasn't he? We thought he was one way when, really, he was something else all together. As far as trying to throw the reader, yeah, that's certainly part of it. I tired to do that repeatedly. I mean, I wanted you to love Joe and yet also wonder. I will say this, when Jay was reading it at one point he came to me and said, "If the bad guy is Joe then just go ahead and tell me now because I'm not going to read the rest of it." To which I replied, "Come on, baby. You know me. Do you think I would write a book I wouldn't like to read?"

As to Joe's father... I think we might see him in a later story line, but I don't know. Either that or he lived out the rest of his miserable existence in a state-supported nursing home, drooling onto his bathrobe, waiting for someone to come and visit him. I haven't really decided yet. (And the only karma it showers you with is fictional karma. Plus it's Joe's dad's karma, not yours. So you're safe. Double. I promise.)

The new book centers around Jennie's dad but Jennie and Joe are in it as well... And yes, it's a mystery. 

Hurricane Sandy

If you live in the Northeastern US, I hope you and your family are safe and didn't sustain damage to your home in Monday's storm.

I live at the Jersey shore and my family was extremely lucky.  Our neighborhood is set pretty high in town so my street didn't flood.  We also had unbelievable wind gusts but didin't lose any trees, which is much more than I can say for many homes on my block.  At this point we have no power/heat/hot air...but we have a generator running here and there for some essentials and our sump pump is keeping our basement dry.  The electric company has given us an estimate of 10 - 15 days without power and we have been informed our kids will not be going back to school until that time.  But - again - we feel absolutely blessed to be alive and living under our own roof.

I cannot tell you how helpless we all feel here at the shore.   So many people are without homes and an indescribable number of our beloved landmarks have vanished.  The devastation is just impossible to truly comprehend.

Please say a prayer - or offer up a silent moment - for the people whose lives are forever changed because of this horrific storm.

*** The above drawbridge is in my town.  The boats you see were dry docked at a marina nearby and were picked up and carried away by raging floodwaters.   That marina is on the exact site where once stood the Union Salt Works.  The salt works were burned down in April 1778 by British loyalists who were trying to cripple this area by removing the only way to preserve meat and other foods.  Against all odds, after repairs, the salt works were once again operational...as will be the Jersey Shore in the coming months and years.  

Outlander Chat is ON Tonight!

Outlander Chat tonight.  9PM Eastern.

No Outlander Chat Tonight

Outlander chat is canceled this evening so the Americans can hoot and holler at our television screens during the final Presidential debate before the upcoming November elections.

See you next week!!

All 16 and 17 Year Olds to Have Vote on Scottish Independence

Ho-Ly-Cow, sassenachs...this Telegraph post (by Patrick Hennessy) talks about a HUGE factor in the upcoming referendum for independence in Scotland in 2014.

"The Scottish Government will pay for a voter registration programme so that all 16 and 17 year olds can vote in the independence referendum, Alex Salmond has announced."

I fully admit that if this were going on here in the US for the upcoming Presidential election, I'd be freaking out.  Some 16 year olds are still too immature to grasp a decision of this magnitude   But because it's Scottish independence we're talking about...I think I'm all for it!

Libertarian Jamie?

Outlander Chat Tonight

Outlander Chat tonight.  9PM Eastern.

Outlander Chat Tonight

Outlander Chat tonight.  9PM Eastern.

Outlander Chat Tonight

Outlander Chat tonight.  9PM Eastern.

Cameron's Scottish Market

Cameron's Scottish Market (where I buy my Scottish foods) starts shipping frozen foods on November 30th.  Mark your calendars and order some Bridies and Sausage Rolls for your family for dinner!  (Not sure about Canada and beyond...you can email them here.)

My Outlander Purgatory 1,000 Twitter Followers!

I want to throw out a huge CONGRATULATIONS to my sista-girl and Outlander Mentor, Tracey, who runs the MOP Outlander Twitter page!  Why?  Because we now have 1,000 followers on Twitter!!  Woot!!!

"My Purgatory" on Facebook

Guess what?  I created a "My Purgatory" Facebook page!

I will be discussing everything over there...books, tv, film, etc etc.

And I could also...ahem...use some "likes".  :)

The Tilted Kilt

Just saw an old friend's post on Facebook, inviting people to go to a bar called "The Tilted Kilt".  I think I may have heard of this place before from Clay and/or Christie...so I went to the website to have a look for myself.  Two words:

Um, ew.

Is it me???  If the girls were cute and walked around in kilts, I think I'd be OK with it.  (Especially if they were serving fried pickles.)  But giant ta tas stuffed into giant tartan bras to match the aforementioned kilts?  Let me state again...

Um, ew.

I mean, the place was started in Vegas by an Italian guy who wanted to create a Celtic atmosphere in general; Irish, Scottish, English...it's all here.

And ta tas.  Giant, tartan, scantily clad ta tas.

And again, I ask: Is it me???  I am pretty hip...I'm pretty cool...I am not a stuffed shirt by any means. (See my My Dream Man Purgatory blog for confirmation.)  But this?  I feel like it is a slap in the face to the men who lived and died in those kilts in the Highlands all those years ago.  Men who, I might add, would probably dig the heck out of The Tilted Kilt.  Let's call a spade a spade.  I'm sure Jamie would have tried not to stare at any of the giant tatas...and he would have been extraordinarily uncomfortable when they - intentionally or not - happened to rub up against him.  Mmm hmmm.

I guess maybe I feel that if you are going to sport a certain culture's garb - past or present - you should know and respect its' origin.  But that makes me a hypocrite as there are an obscene amount of jeans in my wardrobe and all I know about their origin is that denim was a sturdy fabric created for the working man.

Where is the origin of the tartan bra?  The Tilted Kilt?  And should I therefore respect it?  I think not.  I think...unfortunately...that I am left feeling like this:

Um, ew.

PS - WHAT is that accent?  American-Actress-Scots-Mixed-With-Spanish?!?

Outlander Chat Tonight

Outlander Chat tonight.  9PM Eastern.

Outlander Chat Tonight

Outlander Chat tonight.  9PM Eastern.

Outlander Photo Contest

Congrats to all the winners of the Outlander Photo Contest over at Outlandish Observations!

And a collective "way to go" to Karen for all her obvious hard work on this project!  When she went off line last night to get some sleep so she could organize the photos this AM, I realized just how much work she was putting in!  :)

Beyonce's "Single Ladies" Performed by 3 Best Men in Kilts

Thanks to Diane for sharing!!

Diana Gabaldon Webcast

Very cool email from Will Hanisko from The Poisoned Pen.  How cool is this?!

Hi Carol, 

I'm an employee of The Poisoned Pen Bookstore and I wanted to pass on a little info about an upcoming event we'll be having with Diana Gabaldon. 

She will be discussing her latest novel A TRAIL OF FIRE on October 23 2012 at 7pm. We've engineered it so that fans can virtually attend here: https://new.livestream.com/poisonedpen/TrailOfFire

I'll be passing fan questions along to her as the virtual event progresses. Right now, I'm really trying to get the word out so that fans all over the world can watch and even participate. 

The in person event details can be found here:  

http://poisonedpen.com/event/diana-gabaldon-signs-trail-of-fire-lord-john-grey/

I hope to see you there! 

Dragonfly in Amber Puzzle

Sooz has created yet another puzzle!  This time it's Dragonfly in Amber!

Click the puzzle to download!

No Chat Tonight: Happy Labor Day!

Chat will be canceled due to the Labor Day holiday in the United States (thus my cheesy, sparkling graphic.  Did somebody say "Edward"??) Hope you are all enjoying the weekend and we'll see you next week!

Outlander Chat Tonight

Outlander Chat tonight.  9PM Eastern.

Outlander Chat Tonight

Outlander Chat tonight.  9PM Eastern.

Outlander Crossword Puzzle

OK how cool is this?

Sooz created an Outlander crossword puzzle!!

Download the puzzle here (it consists of the puzzle page, the clue page and the answer page.)

Many, many THANKS to Sooz for coming up with this tremendous idea and working so hard - once again - on such an incredibly fun Outlander project.

Can't wait to try it out!  Enjoy!

***UPDATE 9/17/13 - the link has been changed to a new download page.  You do NOT have to pay for this download!!

Caledonia Scottish Pub

WHOA!  Do you all remember when I used to wax on about a fantastic, cozy little authentic Scots pub in uptown NYC called Jock Tamson's Bairns?  The first time I ever went in, the bartender, Aiden, actually used the word "sassenach" in every day conversation...and I almost fell off my barstool.

Meanwhile...they closed last year...and Tracey and I (and my Scots-American hubby) were devastated.

That is, until just now when I discovered they have reopened as Caledonia Scottish Pub!!!!

I cannot TELL YOU how excited I am!  They have a MENU on their website that lists their 150 different kinds of whisky!!!  AND they have whisky-tasting nights all the time!  And if THAT weren't enough (and believe me; it is)...they also serve meat pies and sausage rolls!  Mmmm...sausage rolls.  (Said like Homer Simpson.)  If you have never had one; you've never lived.

This is breathing new life into my plans to hold a MOP Gathering in NYC y'all...

PS - Never had a sausage roll or meat pie and want some shipped overnight to you?  I've got just the place!!!

Karen's Trip to Scotland

So many of you know that Karen from Outlandish Observations took her first trip to Scotland last month.  But did you know you can check out her trip photos and commentary?!

The following photos are explained in Part 3 of Karen's trip diary.  Thanks to Karen for the photos! :)

Karen at Clava Cairns

Karen at Culloden

No Outlander Chat Tonight

Tracey and I won't be able to make chat tonight but we'll see you next week!

Tracey Visits The Poisoned Pen

Tracey is in Arizona on business this week...and made sure to stop by The Poisoned Pen last night.  You know..."Herself", Diana Gabaldon's local book shop that she visits a few times a month?  Yup!  That's the one.  We are on the East coast and have always wanted to go there...so Tracey insisted on paying homage (pronounced "oh-mahj" for this post because I'm a smartass like that.)  ;)

Um, girls (I just met since I started my new job two weeks ago)?  Would
you mind taking my picture with this fantastic book from Diana Gabaldon?
She lives close by with her husband, my best friend Dougggg, ya know. 

Words of Wisdom

"Just keep reading; it’ll be fine."  

~Diana Gabaldon

Hotties in Kilts

Holy crap!  Is THIS the hottest webpage you've ever seen in your LIFE or what?!

And is it me or is this strapping lad a redheid?

Outlander Chat Tonight

Outlander Chat tonight.  9PM Eastern.

Clay and Christie's Trip to Grandfather Mountain

Clay was good enough to send me the following account of his trip to Grandfather Mountain where he and Georgie met up with Christie and her sister, Fran...and had a fantastic weekend!

• We got in Thursday evening, we drove George's "new" car, a 2002 Mini Cooper, she decided 22 years of Minivans were enough and I had to agree.  Drove through steady rain interrupted by periods of downpours till we got into the mountains then up and up the road wound, through the fog until we got to the Condos.  What a deal!  Way better than a hotel room and cheaper!  (Always 1 of my favorite words!)  Whether it was rainy days, slow starting mornings, or late nights talking and drinking wine and beer (though I only mixed the 2 once) it was MUCH better to have the condo with the living room and separate bedrooms so there was more visiting time.

• Friday morning dawned cloudier and rainier.  And I had a couple of work calls I had to deal with, so I was in the office on my computer dealing with that until close to noon.  Good thing George liked Christie and Fran (Christie's sister) and they liked her!

• Information on the GMHG was not very clear on the website so we decided to drive into town for lunch and to try and learn more.  Met a couple of very helpful ladies who filled us in on what was happening and how to do things, got our tickets and out books for Saturday and had lunch at a place called the Tartan restaurant.  Food was pretty good, attire not as flashy as at the Tilted Kilt (where we ate in Atlanta) but we saw several guys in Kilts, and an honest to God wood nymph!  She was looking quite nymph-like!  (And she knew it too)

• We decided to pass on the games that afternoon since it was already after 1 and more rain was forecast.  So we drove to a park (I can't recall the name), did some hiking, Christie showed us how to "make the rocks move", picked up some trash to throw away that some idiots decided needed to be in the forest (I tried to tell everybody we saw that those Bud Light cans were NOT christie's but I'm not sure they believed me!), saw some wild turkeys, and saw the bear i missed when i was resting my eyes.  We picked up barbecue for supper and went back to the condo and played scrabble and a card game Fran brought.  Christie and I stayed up talking late into the night.

• Saturday weather was.... cloudy and rainy, but we got an early start so we could see the massed bands, sheepherding demonstrations, caber tossing and wrestling.  We found the Clan Fraser tent, and MacKenzie, took more pictures, I found out my name is not associated with any Clans, it is a "District" name (which I was told accounted for >70% of the people in Scotland) and learned about that.  George went and listened to fiddlers, singers, and harpists.  Fran, Christie, and I watched more of the games.  Lunch was cornish pasties, shepherd's pie and irish stew, no haggis to be found anywhere!

I got my kilt

• I got my kilt

• We headed back down to the condo mid-afternoon, everybody napped, then went to supper at a nice Italian place (me in kilt).

• Back to Condo for more scrabble, card game and bananarama.  This was when the vodka was consumed.  And more late night talking.

• Sunday morning, wake-up "Shit!  time to go home already?!"  The day dawned clear, beautiful sky, decided to go to the top of Grandfather Mountain and do some more hiking, ate lunch then headed home.

We all had a great time, everybody got along, and while the Games were fun, the highlight will always be the times we spent talking and visiting.  It's pretty cool how Outlander and MOP Chat gave us such a great friend in Christie!

The games from the top of Grandfather Mountain

Christie and I debating diving into the crack in that rock in search of Jamie and Claire

Outlander Withdrawal - Take Two

Mop friend, Jerry reminded me how much I love this post...so I'm reposting, y'all!  Enjoy!

MONDAY, MAY 10, 2010

I AM FINISHED!!!!

TOP TEN things that go through one's mind the day after finishing the most current book of the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon: 

10) Oooh I have ten minutes - I'm going to read!!! Oh. Wait. Shit.

9) How fast can I read the whole series a second time?

8) 2 years 'til new Jamie?!?!?! Give me the phone.  "911, What's your emergency?"

7) Does anyone know where I can get a wolf?

6) "How many bullets are left in this gun?"

5) EFF the Kindle. I'm buying the books! I need to do MAJOR PAGE FLIPPAGE right now!

4) "Edward? Jamie?" (yelled like "Cindy? Bobby?")

3) Did somebody say "cliffhanger"?

2) No dirk-carrying, cup-draining, peach-splitting or herb-collecting for HOW long??

1) Claire, you ignorant slut!

Read The Book

Oh my gosh - I have to credit "Anonymous" for putting this thought into my head:

Can't you just see us all during the Emmy's in - what - 2014?   Outlander will be leading in the nominations...and we're all going to be SO ANNOYED about the bandwagon jumpers who are saying how much they love the show - but haven't even read the books.  LOL!

I guess I should really plan on reading Game of Thrones since I love the show so much!!

Please Do Right By Jamie Fraser

Dear Sony Pictures TV and Ron Moore,

What can I say?  I am both stunned and excited to hear the news that you will be creating an Outlander TV series.

First off, I am thrilled that Outlander will be made into a series - and not a film.  Only a TV series can properly convey the myriad of detail in the story of Jamie and Claire.

And who has a bigger name than Sony?

And who hasn't heard of Battlestar Galactica?

I have to share something with you, though.  Ever since the text came in at 2:25PM (thanks Cari) when I was sitting in the pedi chair at the nail salon, I have been in a state of sheer panic.

As a very recent newcomer to the film industry (that is an understatement), I have witnessed what can be done to a script once the final copy is written.  (Is there ever such a thing as a "final copy"?)  Characters can be omitted.  Story lines can be changed.  Backgrounds are sometimes revised so many times, you forget where the hell the character hailed from in the first place.

I think you see where I'm going with this.

As a solid Outlander fan (not the best, aka Karen Henry...not the worst, aka "I just don't get this Jamie guy"), I implore you to do one, simple thing:

Please stick to the story.  

I know...I know.  Sometimes things look one way on paper and there is no way humanly possible to convey them on screen in the same fashion.  I understand that even the most amazing cinematographers are sometimes limited as to what they can actually do with a camera.

I am just asking you to please...PLEASE...stay as honest and true to the story and the characters as you possibly can.  Please treat these characters with integrity...and love them as if they were your own family.

Also, please, for the love of ALL that is holy in this world...please do not cast a big time actor to play Jamie Fraser, just because the actor brings in the cash.  He has to convey Jamie Fraser's good and bad and everything in between.  And throwing ______ or _____ or even ______ into the role is not the way to go.  Just because someone's star meter rating over at IMDB is in the top ten, does not mean he's going to be able to put the proper feeling into playing Jamie Fraser.


Lastly...Jamie Fraser's Scots accent has GOT TO BE SPOT-ON.

The Outlander fans will thank you for it at the box office; I assure you.  (Or in this case, the cable company!)

MOST sincerely,

Purgatory Carol
MyOutlanderPurgatory.com

Ron Moore to Adapt "Outlander" novels into Cable TV Series!

Check out this article from DEADLINE TV:

EXCLUSIVE: Sony Pictures TV has closed a deal for the rights toOutlander, Diana Gabaldon’s bestselling fantasy/romance/adventure series of books. Battlestar Galacticadeveloper/executive producer Ron Moore will write the series adaptation, with Jim Kohlberg’s Story Mining and Supply Co producing. The project will be taken to cable networks this week.

The book series starts off in 1945 and follows Claire, an engaged WWII combat nurse who accidentally steps back in time to the Scottish Highlands of 1743. Catapulted without warning into the intrigues of lairds and spies that send her on the run and threaten her life she is forced to marry Jamie, a gallant and passionate young Scots warrior, igniting a passionate love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire… and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives. The seven-book series has sold over 20 million copies. An eighth novel is slated to come out next year. The books have developed passionate fan following, with multiple companies running “Jamie and Claire” tours of Scotland, where they visit locations from the books.

For Moore, the project stems from his overall deal with Sony Pictures TV. Star Trek veteran Moore, repped by CAA, started his writing career on Next Generationand also spent five years on Deep Space Nine. He then served as co-executive producer/co-showrunner on the WB’s Roswell and as executive producer/showrunner on HBO’s Carnivale before segueing to Battlestar Galactica.

Thanks to Cari for texting me the news!!  

Outlander Chat Tonight

Outlander Chat tonight.  9PM Eastern.

Clay and Christie Attend the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games

Here are two photos Christie sent me over the weekend.

Hopefully we'll get all the dirt at chat tonight!

Does Clay not rock this kilt?!

Whoa!  Was Shura there??  Oops!  Wrong blog! 

Outlander Chat Tonight

Outlander Chat tonight.  9PM Eastern.

Happy Fourth of July Video With Carol and Tracey

Outlander Chat Tonight

Outlander Chat tonight.  9PM Eastern.  (Tracey and I are both going to be popping in at different times but, by all means, please carry on!)

Someone to Watch Over Me

Look what a certain MOP friend has been up to lately!

She's a published author on Amazon, y'all!

Congratulations, Christie!!!

Outlander Inspired Art

How cool is this??  Got this email from Tanya T aka Menatra and had to share:

It is super simple to make and they could do it with any Outlander verse/phrase/words that they want.  It is just a 3 X 2 foot canvas (bought at a local craft store).  I covered it with white acrylic paint and then wrote on the verse, super lightly with pencil first (it is hard to rub off pencil without leaving marks) and then painted the words with the black acrylic paint.  That's it.  Super easy.  Might be a fun project to do this summer.  

Perth's World Record Kilt Run

OK So Tanya T - aka Menatra, for those of you who chat on Mondays - took part in a world record Kilt Run up in Ontario, Canada.  And she was kind enough to share these fabulous shots with us!  That's her cutie pie little son in the bottom pic...posing with a verra tallllll lad. ;)

Outlander Chat Tonight

Outlander Chat tonight.  9PM Eastern.

Outlander Chat Tonight

Outlander Chat tonight.  9PM Eastern.

Kevin McKidd and the Speyside Sessions

Immense thanks to Miss Christie for sending me this amazing video about TRUE HIGHLANDERS making beautiful music together (for charity, no less.)

Listening to this made me think of my time in Scotland and I had a wee cry.  And then I realized I am SO excited for Karen since she is leaving next week for bonnie Scotland, herself!

Brave are the hearts that beat beneath Scottish skies...

Snow Patrol: Set the Fire to the Third Bar

Watch this video from Snow Patrol (band that hails from Northern Ireland and Scotland) and think about Jamie and Claire, stuck in different centuries, without each other...especially when Claire was in Scotland in the 60s.  So close...but yet so unearthly far.  This video gives me chills.  You can see them in adjoining rooms...feeling each other but not being able to be together...and literally feel yourself drowning in all their yearning.

The lyrics are under the video.  Try not to cry...



I find the map and draw a straight line

Over rivers, farms, and state lines

The distance from here to where you'd be

It's only finger-lengths that I see

I touch the place

Where I'd find your face

My fingers in creases

Of distant dark places

I hang my coat up in the first bar

There is no peace that I've found so far

The laughter penetrates my silence

As drunken men find flaws in science

Their words, mostly noises

Ghosts with just voices

Your words in my memory

Are like music to me

I'm miles from where you are

I lay down on the cold ground

And I, I pray that something picks me up

And sets me down in your warm arms

After I have traveled so far

We'd set the fire to the third bar

We'd share each other like an island

Until exhausted, close our eyelids

And dreaming, pick up from

The last place we left off

Your soft skin is weeping

A joy you can't keep in

I'm miles from where you are

I lay down on the cold ground

And I, I pray that something picks me up

And sets me down in your warm arms

Outlander Chat Tonight

Outlander Chat tonight.  9PM Eastern.

Outlander Chat Tonight

Outlander Chat tonight.  9PM Eastern.

The Paoli Battlefield: May 30, 2012

"One of Howe's commanders, Major General Lord Charles Grey--a distant cousin of Grey's--attacked the Americans at Paoli at night, with orders to his troops to remove the flints from their muskets.  This prevented discovery from the accidental discharge of a weapon, but also obliged the men to use bayonets.  A number of Americans wire bayoneted in their beds, their tents burned, a hundred or so made captive--and Howe marched into the city of Philadelphia, triumphant, on September 21."  ~Diana Gabaldon,  "An Echo In The Bone"

Yesterday I "went home" and visited the Paoli Battlefield in Malvern, Pennsylvania with my children and my very dear friend, Anne.  Anne and I have been friends since we met in the first grade at St. Norbert School in Paoli where Tracey and I went to grade school.  Tracey, Anne, and I have discussed the fact that we don't remember ever being taught about this pivotal battle in the Revolutionary War...one so important that the American military's battle cry "Remember Paoli!"  could be heard at battle well into the 1800s.

I wish you could see this up close; it was truly magical.
Check out the authentic Revolutionary War fencing.

I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed visiting this beautiful, peaceful field.  You will all think me nuts when I say it reminded me of one of my favorite places in Scotland; a "drovers pass" in the lower Highlands where there is a massive valley sunken into the mountains from years of cattle driving.  I have always said there is "music in the silence" there...and I felt the same way about this quiet battlefield in PA. 

My sincere thanks to Diana Gabaldon for Remembering Paoli. 

And my very heartfelt thanks to Karen Henry of Outlandish Observations for reminding me how much I love having grown up in an area so rich in Revolutionary War history. 

Major General Grey.  I hope Hal spat in his tea. 

My kiddies who were surprisingly quiet and reverent throughout
our entire visit...without constant reminders from me.
Kids can "feel" the past even better than we can. 

The original Paoli Massacre monument from 1817, which stands inside
the gravesite.  The battlefield can be seen in the distance. 

Fresh from Memorial Day

My son photographing the original monument with what else?
His Nintendo 3DS.
Hey, I'll instill a love of history into them any way I can. :)

I was iffy on this shot because I didn't want to be disrespectful...
but if letting her quietly sit on a canon for 20 seconds makes the stories stick, then I'm OK.
They both took photos to school today to show their teachers.  Not too shabby.  :)

The current monument, erected in September 1877  

My wonderful friend, Anne (a Paoli local) who puts up with me dragging her
 to battlefields on any random Wednesday when I'm only in town for 6 hours.

Remember Paoli
Please. 

No Chat Tonight

Chat is cancelled tonight in observance of the Memorial Day holiday in the US. 

A sincere THANK YOU to all the men and women who have fought so valiantly for the United States of America.  Every one of you is remembered in our hearts.  

We will NEVER forget. 

PS...

REMEMBER PAOLI!!!!

Lunch with NY Times Bestselling Author Diana Gabaldon

How cool is this???  You can win lunch with Herself!  Thanks to Julie for the heads up!

And I should elaborate and mention that the auction is being run (again!) by Brenda Novak to raise money for Diabetes research.

And we all know how I feel about Diabetes research.  :)

THANKS to Outlandish Observations: Paoli Massacre

My sincere thanks to Karen over at Outlandish Observations for mentioning Tracey and me!  Today's Friday Fun Fact gives information on the Paoli  (pay-OH-lee) Massacre.   Tracey and I grew up in Paoli, Pennsylvania where it took place.  Actually, it took place up the hill in what is today "Malvern, Pennsylvania".

Interestingly enough, M. Night Shyamalan lives in Malvern...and I can't help thinking what a neat film he could make, using the story of the Paoli Massacre and a haunted 18th century stone house.  (You will come across many of these in that area of the world.  Frankly, I miss them greatly since moving to New Jersey.)  Or the General Warren Inn which still stands today and is fully operational.

The Paoli massacre - to nutshell it for you - happened when George Washington left General Anthony Wayne (another history celeb in the Paoli area) in charge - and his troops were ambushed in the middle of the night by troops led by Major General Charles Grey.  Heard that name before, have ye?  Weeeeel, I thought ye might have.  It's because he was a distant relative of one Lord John Grey (or at least in Historical Fictionville created by Diana Gabaldon he was).  Charles Grey led his troops to the camp at Paoli in the middle of the night, so as to surprise the men while they slept.  It was a bloody battle and the British used bayonets to kill the American soldiers (even after some had surrendered).  This was thought of as a barbaric act, even then.

Up through the early 1800s, the phrase "Remember Paoli!"  was used as a battle cry to remind the troops just how ruthless the British military could be.

Take a look at this alphabetical list of the known casualties of the Paoli Massacre and give them a moment of silence in your heart on this Memorial Day weekend.

Outlander Chat TONIGHT

Outlander Chat tonight.  9PM Eastern.

Aloupis Productions

We interrupt our usual conversation about the ever-famous Jamie and Claire...

Just in case you didn't realize...

Last year I started a film production company with some friends - it's called Aloupis Productions.  We have recently launched our new Facebook page to promote our upcoming feature film, "Truck Stop" starring Evan Peters (American Horror Story), Juno Temple (Atonement, The Three Muskateers, the upcoming Batman: The Dark Knight Rises), Kevin Alejandro (True Blood) and Christine Lahti (too many to name!)

If you are on Facebook - I would LOVE IT if you would come and "like" our new Facebook page at Aloupis Productions!!

11/5/14 UPDATE:  The title, "Truck Stop" has now been changed to "Safelight!"  Stop by and say Hi!

SOLD: The Outlander Quilt by Susan Leidy

The Outlander Quilt auction has ended on eBay.  Sooz's stunning quilt was auctioned off for $446 which goes to Friends of Bianca Pet Rescue.

I received this email from Sooz last night...and she graciously agreed to let me share it with you:

The eBay auction ended today....final price for the quilt is $446.  I decided to use this as inspiration and turned to my Outlander book to see what scene was on page 446.  And my favorite quote from this page is.....

"With a glance down at the stream, he stepped back into the shade of a big horse chestnut tree.  He put his hands about my waist and drew me into the shadow after him.

"Ye werna the first lass I kissed," he said softly.  "But I swear you'll be the last.". And he bent his head to my upturned face.

Sigh.

Now if THAT doesn't put you in the Jamie Fraser spirit, I don't know what does.  :)

"What's in the Box" with Jemmy

Outlander Chat Tonight

Outlander Chat tonight.  9PM Eastern.

Outlander Chat Tonight

Outlander Chat tonight.  9PM Eastern.

I should point out that chat has not been super Outlander-related as of late.  I don't want to "Bait and Switch" anyone!  It's just that we all read different books while waiting for IMOHB (or IMHOB - which I can see myself calling IHOP after a few Pinot Grigios) and they come up during chat.  So these days it's more of an Outlander-infused chat.  :)

Last Day for Free Shipping in the MOP Shop!

Last day for free shipping in the MOP Shop, y'all.  Get your MOP designed Outlander-themed shirts QUICK!!  :)

Free MOP Shop Shipping Until May 8th

Free shipping til May 8th in the MOP shop, y'all.  Get your MOP designed shirts, pay homage to Herself, Diana Gabaldon and wear your Outlander proudly!

The Perfect Roger?

Got this photo this AM from MOP bud, Heather...with a note that said "The perfect Roger!"  and let m'tell you...I must concur!  That's Roger perfection, right there.  (And it just occurred to me - I forgot to say his name is Matt Bomer!)

Happy Birthday, Jamie Fraser!

Just a wee post to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Fraser!

Let's watch a blast from the past in celebration, shall we?

Outlander Chat TONIGHT!

Outlander Chat tonight.  9PM Eastern.   A certain someone is having a BIRTHDAY tomorrow!  Woot!

Outlander Chat Tonight

Outlander Chat tonight.  9PM Eastern.  Hope to see you there.

Simon Fraser Pipe Band

Holy cow!!  Look at the link my husband just sent to me in an email!!  "Simon Fraser" University?!  I guess he really was paying attention when he read Outlander and Dragonfly!!

 

Outlander Chat Tonight

Outlander Chat tonight on this somber anniversary of the battle of Culloden.  9PM Eastern.  Hope to see you there.

You Are Not Forgotten

The Battle of Culloden - April 16, 1746

SCOTTISH IS

Thanks to Athena for sending me this totally righteous outpouring of awesomeness.

Outlander CHAT Tonight

Outlander CHAT tonight!  9PM Eastern!  I will not be there as I am visiting my inlaws in Florida...but Tracey will be!  Enjoy...and I'll see you guys next week! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad