Sunday, August 31, 2014

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"

Saturday, August 30, 2014

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!! :)


Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Monday, August 25, 2014

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!!!

Sunday, August 24, 2014

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

Thursday, August 21, 2014

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. 

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!

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Happy TOBIAS TUESDAY!

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

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

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

Saturday, August 9, 2014

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!!

Friday, August 8, 2014

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







Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Happy TOBIAS TUESDAY!!

Tobias Menzies as Black Jack Randall in the "Outlander" series on Starz

My JURY DUTY Purgatory: MOBY Style!

Just got my mail.  This is SO awful...and SO MOBY COOL...all at the same time!


Monday, August 4, 2014

Revolutionary War New Jersey

SPOILER ALERT:  The following deals with situations in Written in My Own Heart's Blood. 

I went for a bike ride in July in a nearby town (Wall, NJ - in Monmouth County)...and was enjoying the serenity of lush greenery along with puffy white clouds in a perfect blue sky, and birds quietly chirping overhead.  Since I was in an area with no roads (save the path I was on) or noise or hint of modern times, I immediately thought of the Revolutionary War and imagined the military and militia passing through the area. (The history dork in me would have thought about that even if I wasn't currently reading MOBY. :)

I had to stop and take a quick little video for those of you who have never been to New Jersey or Pennsylvania, and might like a bird's eye view of what it would have looked and sounded like while soldiers were traveling the countryside.  Better yet, when Ian was traveling the countryside with Rollo...enjoying the simplicity of the peace and quiet.  :)  Enjoy.

MOP CHAT TONIGHT

MOP Outlander Chat Tonight  at 9PM Eastern.  

Tonight's chat schedule: 

9:00 - 9:30:  STARZ EPISODE 1, y'all!!!
9:30 - 9:45:  MOBY - Parts 1 - 5. 
9:45 - 10:00: MOBY - ENTIRE book!

NO MOBY SPOILERS allowed during the first half hour!  

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

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Friday, August 1, 2014

Tobias Menzies Arise 360 Interview: Bringin' the CUTE!

I DEFY you to tell me you don't adore Tobias Menzies after seeing this.