TEAM FRANK, Anyone?

I couldn't resist, y'all.  :)  Check the latest edition to the MOP Shop!!!

Dougray Scott On Outlander...Please!

Thanks to Que M on Twitter for forwarding a tweet about this fantastic Buzzfeed list of the 21 Hotttest Scots in Hollywood.

Dougray is #5, y'all.  Just LOOK at all that pretty.  And in addition to that, he is a FANTASTIC actor.  (Don't get me started on the fact that he did "Enigma " LONG before Cumberpatch.)  Please, someone, for the love of all that's holy...GET THIS MAN ON OUTLANDER.  I fear my carrying a watermelon with Ron Moore did not work.  ;)

Carol and Tracey's Excellent Adventure

OK so I'm going through photos for Christmas cards (late, party of 1?) and reminiscing a LOT today.  HOW much fun was this?!  I can't wait until the next Outlander outing so we can hang with all you awesome Outlander peeps again.  And Sam.  Definitely Sam.  :)

Monday Night MOP Outlander Chat!!

MOP Outlander Chat Tonight - MONDAY NIGHT - at 9PM Eastern!  What does that mean?  That means chat starts RIGHT NOW!!!  Hope to see you there!! 

OUTLANDER Starz Season 1 Part TWO Trailer:

"I never counted on loving you."
 

No MOP Outlander Chat Tonight! (Monday 12/1/14)

Have to cancel chat this evening but we'll be back next week!!  Have a great night!

PS - Happy Anniversary Tracey and Hubster, John!  :)

FREE SHIPPING DEAL at the MOP SHOP!

FREE SHIPPING on orders of 2 or more items at the
MOP SHOP through December 2nd!!

Enter CODE: Coupon Code: XMASTWO at check out!

Fun with Pocket Jamie...and Turkey!

BIG THANKS to Janet for making us this awesome Pocket Jamie meme. It totally MADE MY DAY!!!  :)

Happy Thanksgiving, Sassenachs!

You can purchase this Adey Bryant cartoon with no watermark at cartoonstock.com!

MOP Outlander Chat TONIGHT

MOP Outlander Chat Tonight at 9PM Eastern!  

- Basic Outlander discussion from 9:00 - 9:30 
- The entire book series from 9:30 - 10:00

Hope to see you there!!! :)

OUTLANDER Wins E! Online's Fall TV Obsession Tourney!

Go OUTLANDER for winning in E! Online's "Fall TV Obsession" tournament!

Was there ever any doubt?!?

MOP Outlander Chat TONIGHT!

MOP Outlander Chat Tonight at 9PM Eastern!  

9:00 - 9:30:  General Outlander discussion with as few spoilers as possible!
9:30 - 10:00:  The entire Outlander series is discussed!  

SAFELIGHT Starring Evan Peters and Juno Temple

I interrupt this Outlander page to share something I think some of you may be interested in; it's something very close to my heart. This is a poster for the upcoming film, SAFELIGHT...something I've been extremely lucky to be involved with...along with its production company, Aloupis Productions. SAFELIGHT stars Evan Peters (American Horror Story, X-Men: Days of Future Past), Juno Temple (Horns, Maleficent), Jason Beghe (Chicago P.D.,Californication), Kevin Alejandro (True Blood, Sons of Anarchy), Christine Lahti (Hawaii Five-0, Chicago Hope), etc etc...and will be out in 2015!

Come check out the new Aloupis Productions page on Facebook for more info, photos, etc! 

MOP Shop SALE

20% off orders of $30 or more in the MOP Shop until November 11th!!!

Use Coupon Code 20EARLY at checkout!!

MOP Outlander Chat TONIGHT!

MOP Outlander Chat Tonight  at 9PM Eastern.  ***We will be discussing MOBY after 9:30! 

My Outlander Purgatory Turns FIVE!

Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear MOP, happy birthday to you!

Whether you've been reading my ramblings for five years...or just stumbled upon MOP yesterday, THANKS SO MUCH for all the laughs, cries, and everything in between.  And thanks so much to Diana Gabaldon for changing so many lives with the stroke of her pen.

If you keep reading, I'll keep blogging.  And Tracey will keep Tweeting.  And we'll both keep making those CRAZY videos.  We are truly blessed to know all of you!!!  ❤︎ Carol

THANKS Jamie!

I have to give a shout out to an AMAZING MOP friend who many of you may already be lucky enough to know through our many Outlander circles.

Just LOOK at what Miss JAMIE made for me. Hand-made body butters...essential oils...all with a divine scent.  Just like Claire, this woman knows her stuff! And lucky for us, she may very well be SELLING her concocted potions some time in the near future...so STAY TUNED!!!

Jamie's OM-azing potions (which are
blurred so I won't give away her secrets, y'all!!)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Carved by the AMAZING husband of JJ over at The Book Bosses! 

MOP OUTLANDER Chat TONIGHT!

MOP Outlander Chat Tonight  at 9PM Eastern.  Why not come CHAT OUTLANDER?!?

je suis prest!

Look what my friend Shannon found in St. John, New Brunswick!!!

MOBY ALERT: Old Tennent Church VIDEO!

SPOILER ALERT!!!  The following post and video make many references to situations in Written in My Own Heart's Blood.  MAJOR spoilers ahead if you have not read that far in the Outlander series yet!!!

Oh MAN do I have a treat for you!!!  My friend, Shannon recently gave me an article from the Asbury Park Press about the Old Tennent Church in Manalapan, NJ...site of some of my favorite scenes in the entire Outlander series.  (Shannon and I are paying our Halloween visit next week.)  Weird New Jersey (way cool magazine about...well...weird things in New Jersey!) did a piece on the church and cemetery...and little did I know, there is VIDEO!!!  Video of the church...video of the cemetery...close ups of Battle of Monmouth graves...and even possible blood stains from a pew where a dying soldier was allegedly lain.

THIS IS THE FIND OF THE CENTURY...at Halloween and Samhain, no less!!!

Click the photo watch the video...and ENJOY!!

Those Crazy MacGyver Mackenzies!

This new video from Kiltlander is my favorite new Outlander "thing" to come along in a long, LONG time. It's like the Love, American Style of Outlander! (MacGyver, actually...but work with me.) Absolutely brilliant!!!

MOP Outlander CHAT Tonight!

MOP Outlander Chat Tonight  at 9PM Eastern.  (Alas...I have finished MOBY (le sigh) and will have plenty to say.)  ;) 

MOP Chat TONIGHT

MOP Outlander Chat Tonight  at 9PM Eastern.  BE THERE!!!  :)

MOBY: Find Your Way Back

SPOILER ALERT:  I am *almost* finished Written in My Own Heart's Blood (and am verra sad about that fact.  The shakes are already starting to set in.  I went as slowly as I could...but it's been really hard to delay gratification over the last quarter or so of this book.)

Why am I so behind on blogging about MOBY?  Well, this little thing called STARZ got in the way , and although I've been reading, I haven't been keeping up with my commentary.  My spare time has gone to making videos and updating MOP Facebook and blogging about all things Outlander Book 1.  (Oh yeah, and raising two kids...but I digress.)

I just wanted to let you all know I will be catching up now that the show is on hiatus until 2019 (kidding...April 4, 2015 can't come fast enough!)  I am going to have to backtrack like a mofo (thank GOD for Kindle's highlight feature) and do some spot-rereading to remind myself of all the things I've been wanting to wax on about for months regarding this book.  (Freehold, much?  Old Tennent Church?  Claire getting SHOT?!?  Um, yeah.  Those things.  Along with "what the devil" Percy is up to...and multiple weddings...and Rollo and Henry Christian.  Lordddddddd the tears.  I can't even GO there right now.)

So...I ask that you please forgive me...and know that in the upcoming weeks I will try to give you some food for thought while you wait for Outlander to be back in the spring.  Maybe it's better that I did it this way!  (The only person who will disagree with that logic is MOP bud, Christie.  Come to MOP Chat on Mondays and watch her abuse me for taking my time about it, aye?)

And now...I leave you with this:

Could I be ANY FREAKIN' HAPPIER that Jamie and Claire are back on the Ridge?  No, no I could not.  As much as I enjoyed them traipsing around my back yard in Monmouth County...I feel like I can breathe - just like Claire - now that they're home.

Oh and Post Scriptum?

That willna stop me from posting things like this. :)

Sam Heughan Soars Up The IMDb Starmeter!

Ummm...holy crap.  Has anyone noticed that Sam Heughan is NUMBER 2 this week on the IMDb Starmeter?

WAY TO GO, MR. JAMMF!!!!

Why "Part 2 Jamie" Will Be Straight-Up Badass

I have had an epiphany.  It's about Jamie Fraser's character in Outlander on Starz, and the major game change that's taking place right in front of our very eyes.

Up until now, I haven't quite been able to explain how I feel about Jamie's character in the show.  I watch every week, unintentionally comparing the "show to the book" (and being beyond pleased while doing so)...and reveling in the story add-ons that have been such a refreshingly perfect fit thus far.  I have felt like "TV Jamie" (brilliantly portrayed by the talented and swoonrific Sam Heughan) is beautifully written...but has seemed slightly different than his character in the book series (by literary wonder, Diana Gabaldon.)  Perhaps he seems somewhat timid...while coming off like the clan's little brother, instead of the true Highland warrior I've had the pleasure of getting to know over the years.

Any slight bewilderment I had was made perfectly clear once I saw the trailer for the upcoming 2nd half of the season, slated to air in April of 2015.  I had this "a-ha" moment, realizing that we are witnessing the EVOLUTION of Jamie Fraser, and he will be channeling his inner badass in part 2.

Allow me to elaborate.

First, we saw Jamie as a wounded young man.  A fine specimen, mind...but a fellow much younger and less seasoned than his rough-and-tumble clansmen:

Shoulder pain?  What shoulder pain?

Next, we saw a cute and flirty Jamie, impressing Claire with his vast knowledge of horses...

She wants me.  I know she wants me.

And yes, we did catch a glimpse of a stronger, wiser Jamie during his brilliant, thinking-on-his-toes pledge during The Gathering.

Let's get this over with, aye?

But then he was right back to being vulnerable on the wedding night.

Awkward, party of 2?

Now pay attention, y'all.  This is where the tide started to turn...and my epiphany started to take shape.  Claire got attacked...and something changed inside of Jamie.  He felt like he didn't protect her...

Shite!  I dinna ken what to do! 

...and he got mad.  Really, really mad. 

I'll no be fooled again.

And he wasn't going to take it anymore, especially when Claire was attacked, yet again.

Go ahead.  Make...my...day. 

And NOW look at him in the new trailer!!  He's like a deranged animal...in a cage that's been left well unlocked.

Kill...kill...kill...

And THAT, lads and lassies, is a realization that has me giddy with Outlander Part Deux glee.  Jamie is a changed man!  Now that he's a husband (and needs no guidance in the bedroom), he's no pushover ...and he's not going to be anyone's sap anymore!  I never really saw the change taking place while reading the books (much like you don't notice your children growing on a daily basis)...but Ron Moore is so ridiculously insightful, I have no choice but to ponder it now.

I am now so torked up for the second half of the season, I dinna ken what tae DO w'myself!  (Whoa - slipped into a bi' of Pocket Jamie for a minute there.)  

In the words of Oscar Wilde, "the suspense is terrible..."

...but I'm no sure I want it to last!!  Come on, April 4th!!

MOP's TOBIAS TUESDAY!

MOP Outlander Chat TONIGHT!

MOP Outlander Chat Tonight  at 9PM Eastern.  BE THERE!!!  :)

OUTLANDER on Starz Season 1 / Part 2 TRAILER!

Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ.  This new trailer for Outlander's 2nd half of its maiden season on Starz makes me weep with _______ (insert appropriate adjective here; "fear", "rage", "joy"...they'll all do nicely.)

They had me at that haunting, ethereal voice.  And this got me thinking about the fact that I need to fill up my iPad with it - and similar voices - STAT.

Suggestions??  Anyone??  I'd love to hear some!

My Outlander Purgatory Breaks Down Starz' Outlander Episode 8: Both Sides Now

Villain Guessing with Tobias Menzies

Now that we have 7 months to wait for new Outlander on Starz, you MUST check out this hilarity with Tobias Menzies. LOVE HIM!!

 

MOP's TOBIAS TUESDAY!

Tobias Menzies as Frank Randall in "Outlander" on Starz

My Outlander Purgatory Breaks Down Starz Outlander Episode 7: The Wedding

REMEMBER PAOLI!

The Battle of Paoli, September 20, 1777

 "Rest well, Paoli's heroes brave
 You did your part this land to save
 And as the centuries roll by
 Ever we'll sound your battle cry
 REMEMBER PAOLI!!"

 ~Henry Pleasants Jr.

MOP's TOBIAS TUESDAY!

A young and adorable Tobias Menzies in HBO's "Rome." 

MOP Outlander CHAT Tonight!!!

MOP Outlander Chat Tonight  at 9PM Eastern.  We will be discussing Episode 6: The Garrison Commander.  Please NO MOBY spoilers until 9:45.  Thank you!! 

My Outlander Purgatory Breaks Down Outlander Episode 6 on Starz: The Garrison Commander

THANKS to Jax from "Outlander Stuff!"

Have to throw a HUGE THANK YOU out to MOP pal, JAX from Revive1775 (tremendous website that is chock full of info from the Revolutionary war and the happenings of 1775!)

Jax sent Tracey and myself these truly awesome bracelets...that she made!!  And where can you get one?  At her Etsy site, OutlanderStuff!!!  She also sells celtic knot bracelets and key rings with other quotes from the Outlander series; tons of awesome goodies!  Go check her out!

 I canna tell you how much we appreciate these wee gifties.  We are truly touched!!!!
THANKS JAX!! :)

Going Through the Stones!

This is MOP friend, Kris, going through the stones today! Jealous, party of MOP?! GO KRIS!! Tell Claire and Jamie we said Hi! And JE SUIS PREST!!! 

MOP's TOBIAS TUESDAY!

Tobias Menzies as "Black Jack Randall" in episode 6 of OUTLANDER on Starz

MOP discusses "RENT": Episode 5 of OUTLANDER on STARZ!

MOP's TOBIAS TUESDAY!

Tobias Menzies and Genevieve O'Reilly in "Forget Me Not"

No MOP Chat Tonight

MOP Chat is cancelled tonight in honor of the Labor Day holiday here in the United States.  We'll see you next week! 

MOBY Update: Tombstones and Toadstools

SPOILER ALERT:  The following is from chapter 74 in Written in My Own Heart's Blood.
  
     "I gave my burnt artilleryman water, then helped him to his feet.  As he stood up, I saw behind his legs the epitagh carved into Gilbert Tennent's headstone:
     O READER HAD YOU HEARD HIS LAST TESTIMONY YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN CONVINCED OF THE EXTREME MADNESS OF DELAYING REPENTANCE." 

~Diana Gabaldon in "Written in My Own Heart's Blood"

Gilbert Tennent's Grave - Old Tennent Church and Graveyard
I took this on my first visit to the Old Tennent church back in the 1990s. :)

My Outlander Purgatory's Recap of Episode 4: "The Gathering"

My Outlander Purgatory Wants to See YOUR MOP Shirt!

Lads and Lassies, this is m'girl Claudia.  Claudia made my day recently when she sent me a picture of herself looking fantastic in not only a shirt she got at the MOP Shop...but a shirt that says My Outlander Purgatory!

And this got me thinking...I'd LOVE to post photos of ALL of you in YOUR Mop Shop shirts, no matter what they say! "I'd Go Through the Stones..."?? "...Takin His Time About it..."??  "LORDDDDDD the Gathering?!?" If you've got a MOP shirt (or mug, etc), please send me picture of you wearing it!!!  Don't have one yet??  That's OK...go ahead and order one and send me the pic when you get it!  I'll wait!! :)

HAPPY TOBIAS TUESDAY!

Tobias Menzies in Forget Me Not

Outlander Lads

Just in case anyone is still wondering about who's who on the Starz series...

ANGUS/Stephen Walters

RUPERT/Grant O'Rourke

MOP Chat TONIGHT!

MOP Outlander Chat Tonight  at 9PM Eastern.  

Tonight's chat schedule: 

9:00 - 9:30:  STARZ EPISODE 3, y'all!!!
9:30 - 10:00: MOBY!!!!

NO MOBY SPOILERS allowed during the first half hour!  

THANKS and can't wait to see you there!!!

MOP Breaks Down Starz' OUTLANDER Episode 3: The Way Out!

SPOILER ALERT!!!  Hey Outlander newbies...Tracey is on vacation this week and she usually edits the videos and adds pretty little spoiler warnings. I apologize for my boring start/stop points below the video...but they will make it easy for you to avoid season1 spoilers!!

PLEASE NOTE:  There is slight BREAKING BAD spoiler.  Avoid 44 seconds between 56:00 to 56:44. Happy watching!!!

18:00 - SPOILER ALERT

19:18 - SPOILER OVER

29:50 - SPOILER ALERT

30:06 - SPOILER OVER

41:10 - SPOILER ALERT

48:18 - SPOILER OVER

50:43 - SPOILER ALERT

51:03 - SPOILER OVER

56:00 - BREAKING BAD SPOILER

56:44 - BREAKING BAD SPOILER OVER

58:00 - SPOILER ALERT

59:35- SPOILER OVER

1:00:08 - SPOILER ALERT

1:04:32 - SPOILER OVER

MOBY: The Gift That Keeps on Giving

SPOILER ALERT:  Dinna read unless you are 50% into Written in My Own Heart's Blood. 

My Daughter's Handywork!

Christmas Eve is my birthday. People always ask, "Don't you feel gypped?" because I only get presents once a year. And every time, I tell them I don't know any better; this is the way it's always been! I wait all year for something I want, whether a bike at age ten or an iPad at age 40. And it's because of this that I've developed a bit of a habit - a ritual, if you will - on Christmas Day. I gather all my presents in one big pile, and watch everyone else open theirs first because I know "this is it" for another year; this is all I'm going to get. (Waaah, poor me.  I know this is quite a First World Problem...but stick with me; I do have a point.)

Oh sure...I open a few gifts here and there until I'm about 50% through...and then I just stop, and watch everyone else. This usually continues until my family finishes opening theirs and groans, "Come on Carol...finish opening your presents already!"

Today, lads and lassies, I am suffering the same fate, but it's only August. This time around, MOBY is my pile of presents, I am exactly 50% through, and you are all my family, telling me to hurry up and finish. 

I am sharing this little nugget of info in order to give you an idea of the anxiety I feel at this very moment. And don't get me wrong, I'm sure there are plenty of you out there who may have delayed MOBY gratification...and just as many who - at the very least - are able to appreciate how I feel.

But to me, this is personal. And finishing this book is going to leave me in complete and utter...

PURGATORY! 

As I've mentioned (ad nauseam) before, I am a self-professed Revolutionary War dork/buff/addict. Southeastern Pennsylvania and the central New Jersey shore are the only places I've ever lived and I have breathed in their history every day of my life. It's not uncommon for me to drive by a wartime house that still stands or a historical marker in the road, commemorating the hanging of British tories. (Whether the story is true remains to be seen, but the Daughters of the American Revolution seem to think it is.) If a blurb about Paoli in An Echo in the Bone (or a chapter entitled Remember Paoli in MOBY - but that's a different post!) had a profound effect on me because it's the town I grew up in, imagine how I feel now, diving into chapters about Freehold. FREEHOLD! I live in Monmouth County. I have jury duty at the courthouse in Freehold next month. I have visited the Old Tennent Church and cemetery many times...FOR FUN! I have gone with my husband. I have gone alone. And I have dragged my friends. I even exclaimed to them during our most recent visit that I was positive Claire was going to work there in MOBY, as I knew the church's history and that it was used as a hospital during the Revolution.

So yes, I have waited 400 some-odd pages for Claire to mention the Old Tennent Church, and damnit she did it two nights ago when I was reading. And did I rip into the chapter as most of you probably would? No, no I did not. Instead, I slammed the book shut (ok I turned my Kindle off quite vigorously) and put the book down. And I haven't opened it since. Because I am scared. I am scared to finish this book! I am scared to wait another five years. And most of all, I'm scared to walk out of this room...and never feel the rest of my whole life...wait...that's a line from Dirty Dancing. But seriously - I'm scared to read about what is going to happen to my favorite characters in the world - at one of my favorite historical spots in the world. And what makes it so unbelievable is that it's in my own back yard, figuratively speaking. Even if I weren't reading MOBY, I'd still be heading out to drive through the battlegrounds and the Old Tenant cemetery soon.  I'd still have a need to marvel at the fact that people just like Claire helped soldiers just like Jamie in this church-turned-hospital, just so I could live here - in Monmouth county, New Jersey - free as a bird.  I don't have anyone with a gun stationed at my church or local market. I can pray where I want and visit who I want and not worry about offending the crown or committing treason just for talking to the wrong person.

Live free or die, lads and lassies...live free or die. 

So that is my story. I couldn't press on at this hallowed halfway mark until I shared it with all of you wonderful fellow Gabaldon fans, in hopes that you'll understand my reason for procrastinating...as well as commiserate with me and tell me everything is going to be alright (sans spoilers, of course!) I have been so fortunate to spend all these years getting to know you guys through countless Outlander discussions. And laughs. Lordddddd the Outlander laughs. I would not trade this angst for the world.

Now...I promise I will get back to reading, no matter how anxious or fearful I am to do so, because I know what some of you saying. "Come on Carol...finish opening your presents already."  :)

My MOBY Hysteria: What a Difference a Year Makes

SPOILER ALERT:  The following pertains to information in Written in My Own Heart's Blood!  GO BACK if you don't want MAJOR SPOILERS. 
I 
am
posting
this
lower
so
newbies 
won't
see
it!

This video was taken last year when I was driving through Freehold and couldna wait for MOBY.  Giggle.  It's kindof funny to watch now.  Enjoy!

And was I right about Claire?? YES I WAS.  Old Tennent church which was used as a field hospital during the war. Almost 20 years ago I stumbled upon that church and cemetery during a chilly October drive with my husband...and I've been visiting it ever since.  See the next post for details!

Happy TOBIAS TUESDAY!

Tobias Menzies as "Brutus" on HBO's "Rome".  Photo submitted to HBO Wiki by OleMissCub

My Outlander Purgatory OUTLANDER Starz Episode 2 Recap!

IMDB is OUTLANDERVILLE!

OUTLANDER is Picked Up for a 2nd Season on Starz!!

MOP Talks EPISODE 1 of OUTLANDER on STARZ!

RIP Robin Williams: We'll Miss Your Scots

Still canna believe Robin Williams is gone. :(  He did such a fantastic Scots accent...I have to post this for those of you who havena seen it.

The man was such a massive talent.  And it's silly...but his future appearance I was looking forward to the most was Mrs. Doubtfire 2!  I love that character (and emulate it often.)  "I know you're used to loosy-goosy...but I run a much tighter ship!"  I JUST botched did that impression in a video Tracey and I made on Sunday!!

Post Scriptum Scriptum:  Was Mrs. Baird not the reincarnation of Mrs. Doubtfire?!?

Happy Tobias Tuesday!

Tobias Menzies as Frank on the Starz original series, "Outlander"
Photo credit:  Starz

OUTLANDER Premiere: Today's the Day!

OUTLANDER premieres TONIGHT in the US on STARZ!  Check your local listings!

Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander series, looking stunning, as usual!!

Outlander FANSITES: Entertainment Weekly

Could not be more thrilled (or surprised!) to mention that My Outlander Purgatory has been recognized as an Outlander fansite in this week's Entertainment Weekly magazine!

Congratulations to the Ladies of Lallybroch, Outlander Book Club, Outlandish Observations and Outlander Kitchen for being listed as well!

Graphic:  Entertainment Weekly - August 15th issue