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Jamie and the Savages: Takes One to Know One

SPOILER ALERT: Dinna read unless you have read chapter 15 in DRUMS OF AUTUMN.

OK Sassenachs... I am starting to get a little nervous as to the direction this book is taking. Not so much this book, but the whole series. I have mentioned my Outlander mentor, Tracey, who has told me that halfway through Drums, I'll start to see where the series is headed.  I had a hard time once they started talking about settling in the US - down south no less. (You Southerners know I love ya - but I told ya; I'm a Yank. It's in our blood to roll our eyes when hearing Jamie and Claire are going to settle anywhere south of Newark, Delaware.)

OK so anyway... cue Waltons music now, Peeps. Will Claire and Jamie be settling on Fraser Mountain, perhaps?? Na na na na na naaaaaa... "Goodnight Sassenach"... "Goodnight Scottish Bastard".

And now allow me to change gears, if you will. When I realized we were going to start having run-ins with "the savages", I sortof changed my tune about what direction this series might be taking.  Let's just say that I just stumbled on a (verra cool) site - lallybroch.com - and looked at readers' renditions of Jamie Fraser - and happened upon a picture of a fellow in some sort of suede ensem with arrows strapped to his back. At that point I closed the webpage and thought "Was that supposed to be Jamie? Or was it some random "savage"???

And that's when Kevin Costner reared his aging head in my imagination and I thought "Oh no. Oh please, God, please no."  Please dinna tell me Jamie and Claire will be running around, selling furs for wampum and coming up with names for each other like "Leaf Lover With Large Bosom" and "Red Warrior Who Canna Be Gentle About It".

And then I started pondering what will happen if Jamie and Claire settle in the garden of earthly delights... and make a home for themselves as regular old Jamie-the-former-Highlander and Claire-the-surgeon... and then the Red Coats come-a-callin and stir up trouble at their happy home. And I started having visions of Jamie having dinner with John and Abigail.... and holding the kite for Benjamin...and telling Cornwallis to kiss his not-so-wee arse... and it all became crystal clear:

:

:

:

:

:

V

                     THIS:                           is verra much like                         THIS:

 

Now run along and think on that, Sassenachs. I've got to get back to my book. Ian's still with the "savages", and something tells me it's not going to be as easy as Jamie thinks to meet him with old Mr. Third Ball in 10 days...

River Run and Bree's Great Auntie Jacosta

SPOILER ALERT: Dinna read unless you have started chapter 10 in DRUMS OF AUTUMN.  

Lord I'm a sucker for familial relationships. I think this may be my first cry of Drums and thus, I feel compelled to write about it. I never expected to feel so emotional when Claire met Jacosta for the first time. But... wow. It hadn't clicked beforehand that she's Bree's blood relation. When Claire said her handshake felt like Bree's, that was it for me. My eyes got all watery and I couldn't even see the words on the page. (Reminds me a little of Bella in New Moon when she was crying and couldn't see Edward clearly. She referred to the process as "insanity". But I digress.)

This book has been absolutely beautiful so far. It truly has. When I spoke with Jenn M. at school pickup this afternoon, I said it feels like Drums is Diana's gift to us; the gift of Jamie Fraser. So far there hasn't been too much of that roller coaster feeling... (love the highs, not always crazy about the lows)... just a constant warm feeling of Jamie and Claire goodness. We all giggle about how much we love the sex scenes in all the books... but so far it's been mostly sweet remarks and loving glances. (I know, I sound like a sap, but I canna help it when we're talkin' about James Alexander Malcom Mackenzie Fraser, Sassenachs.)

OK that's it for now. I. Must. Read!!! Jenn and Shannon are pages and pages ahead of me. Someone get me away from this computer!!

I'll be wrapped around Jamie's finger....

SPOILER ALERT: Dinna read unless you have read chapter 9 in DRUMS OF AUTUMN. 

"I can see the destiny you sold, turned into a shining band of gold."  ~Sting

Wow. WOW. Did I not just blog a couple hours ago about Claire still wearing her gold ring from Frank? And now it's gone. Wow. I feel bad. I feel like I brought on the pirates! Seriously though. If she had taken the damn thing off before, it would be safe, most likely with Brianna. (I know, I know, nobody likes a Monday morning quarterback... so I'll just be shutting the hell up now.)

SO glad Jamie found it for her. I was NOT looking forward to her having to sift through her, uh, defecatory matter in order to find it. (Been there, done that. My son swallowed a penny once. Note to husband: Don't let the baby play with a penny when he's on the changing table, mmmmkayyyy?)

And the pirates. THE PIRATES. For the love of all that's holy... the damned pirates took the jewels.

Jamie Fraser = Job

Wedding Bands

 SPOILER ALERT: Dinna read unless you have read chapter 9 in DRUMS OF AUTUMN.  

Why is Claire still wearing Frank's gold wedding band on her left hand? She barely loved him. They didn't have a tremendous marriage. Mofo's DEAD. Why is she still wearing that band? Take it off! You're married to Jamie now! I can understand why she kept it on before going back to the future; she felt bad for leaving Frank. But Frank's time has come and gone. He had his time with Claire. It's JAMIE'S turn now. TAKE OFF THE GOLD BAND.

Playlist update

Need to fill you in on some Outlander Playlist happenings...

First - I just realized I added the wrong "Adagio for Strings". Whoops. It was some electronic version that actually made me tinkle slightly when I realized my mistake. Can you imagine? A quick and steady beat that sounds like the music Jason Biggs danced to in American Pie - right after Culloden?? Shudder. Soooo - it promptly came off - and the correct version was added.

Second - I've mentioned that this playlist encompasses all the books - or at least the ones I've read so far. What I haven't mentioned - because I just realized it - is that it sortof skips from Claire deciding to stay with Jamie in 1743 after the witch debacle in Outlander to Claire reuniting with Jamie after snogging him out of jail in Dragonfly in Amber! Holy cow! That won't do! I need some more songs on this thing, no Sassenachs?!

Soooo...I promise to do that soon. I also promise to put together a post that shows what scenes I see in my head during each of these songs.

OK that's all for me - gotta go read - kthxbye.

The Nine Greatest Words Ever Spoken:

"I 
mean 
to 
take 
my 
time 
about 
it, 
Aye?"

America the Beautiful (and apparently stinky in 1767)

SPOILER ALERT: Dinna read unless you've finished chapter 7 in DRUMS OF AUTUMN.

OK so we're on our way to Cross Creek on a small boat which Jamie abhors. Why Claire isn't just shoving the needles in his neck without even asking is beyond me. He's going to be green in about 2 seconds. If you've never been seasick, you truly have no idea just how god-awful it is. It's like taking the worst nausea you've ever had and coupling it with the worse fear or panic attack you've ever had... and then asking someone to spray you ever 15 seconds with a spray bottle. But I digress...

One of my favorite Jamie lines: "What is it-has the spiced crab given ye flatulence?" Oh how I giggled at that.

Why is everyone so damned stinky all the time? I know, I know... it's the 18th century. They didn't exactly have Mennen Speed Stick. But - at some point - don't you go "Oh god I reek!" and jump in the lake?? Or rinse yourself with some water somehow? I mean seriously. The layers of filth and grime are making me so sick - as is the constant sweat.  It just goes to show what a fantastic writer Diana Gabaldon is... because I literally feel sick when these people are sick or hot or hurt, etc etc.

QUESTION:  Was anyone as put off as I was when Claire and Jamie were sweaty on the rock, discussing Claire being master of her domain - and she says "Well I was a widow for two years, you know." Um, HELLO??? If Jamie made reference to his sex life while they were apart - she would flip. Oh poor YOU, Claire! You went without Frank's manly essence and la leche cocktails for two whole YEARS! Somebody give this woman a prize! I was really mad at her for saying that. And of course - good-natured Jamie  is too nice to say anything. Or too taken with the realization that women also occasionally may take a solo trip downtown, if you will. (As Tracey says, how cute is it that Jamie is 46 years old and still learning about sex. Absolutely adorable.)
Did that bother anyone besides myself? 

OK and might I say - the grave is killing me. KILLING me. We're veering a little too close to that "Jamie Fraser is dead" feeling again like way back in Dragonfly in Amber, and I'm no happy with it at all, Sassenachs.

*Things I love so far:

*I loved when they were burying poor Gavin and they thought Stephen Bonnet was a ghost. Can't you just see that scene? Jamie, Fergus, Ian, Duncan... all yelling and bumping into each other like Scooby Doo near the wagon, only to find out it's some stinky Irishman who's been hiding all damn day next to a corpse? Oh holy hell I laughed at that scene. I loved Mr. Bonnet too, by the way. He's a great character. I hope we meet with him again.

*Roger Wakefield/Mackenzie has done an about-face and is almost as tasty as James Alexander Malcom Mackenzie Fraser, himself. I don't know when it happened, but he went from a nerdy, slightly anxious straight-laced guy to Hotty MacHottie, kilt-wearing, boner-hidden-behind-the-sporan-sportin', longish hair-raking MANLY MAN of the century!! I am thrilled to be reading about Brianna again. I cried when I turned the page and there she was, in 1969. I canna WAIT to see where this storyline is going to go. Will they go through the stones? I thank god that Roger can hear the buzzing and will be with her if she decides to go meet her father. *Thanks to Georgehernandez.com for the hot kilt photo.

OH and Tracey (My Outlander Mentor aka MOM) is telling me I will get to the point where I can see how the overall story is evolving - and it's going to make me feel like I did when I realized Claire and Jamie were going to age 20 years. So far - here are the possibilities:

Possibility #1) I'm coming to the realization that Jamie and Claire will never leave the South, let along the Colonies. I want them back in Scotland. I don't want them in America. Let me amend that. I'll take my Jamie anywhere I can get him - but I'd prefer Scotland.

Possibility #2) I'm coming to the realization that Jamie is going to die - and that Claire is going to bury him. I canna even consider that thought without losing my shite... so... next:

Possibility #3) I'm coming to the realization that I love Roger and Brianna almost as much as Jamie and Claire, so they're going to grab the torch and be the next hot storyline once Jamie and Claire end up swinging on a porch swing? (Please dear LORD, let it be at LALLYBROCH!)

OK that's it for me. I'm leaving out so much but I really need to get reading. Later Sassenachs!

Scene Suggestion: "All I Want is You"

OK I just had a vision and wanted to share as well as get it written down before I empty the dishwasher or something and TOTALLY forget.

Imagine this - the witch trial scene. Slow motion. Claire and Geillis' wrists are tied up - and we're hearing "All I Want is You" from U2.  Jamie comes riding in on his horse - remember - all of this is in slow motion. The song makes the scene completely eerie as you're seeing various shots of the two women hanging by their wrists - Jamie flies off his horse and cuts Claire down... and the end of the song is playing where Bono is sceaming "All I want is YOUUUUUU.... all I want is YOUUUUUU..." and during the guitar portion at the end Claire looks over - sees Geillis' vaccination scar - their eyes meet, just as Geillis sees hers. Then Jamie whips her up on the horse - and they ride off...

Go listen to it right now. RIGHT FREAKIN NOW. And picture that. My god I can't wait for this movie. Somebody please tell me Randall Wallace is really working on this screenplay as I type. Please.

Drums of Autumn

SPOILER ALERT: Dinna read unless you have reached page 5 in Drums of Autumn.

OK I'm peeking. Just a little. Had time for a quick snack and well.. I couldna resist taking a wee look. I'm only on page 5. Here are my observations so far:

Brianna is so coming over. Diana says the book has a lot about fathers - and thanks her own. Mmmm hhmmmm. Brianna is SO coming over.

LOVE the ghost prologue. Oh my god I love it so much I want to let it get to 3rd base with me in the back seat. I might have to type it out and put it on the blog so we can all pray to it every third Tuesday.

Getting a "The Other Boleyn Girl" vibe since this starts with a hanging, just like that did.

Not sure about the setting; Charleston, South Carolina. It's a beautiful area of the country, don't get me wrong. But I'm a Yank. And I have to assume this book is going to have lots of redcoats all over our asses in the years leading up to the Revolutionary war. And since my hometown borders Valley Forge, PA, I was kindof hoping for some stories of Jamie Fraser hanging near where I grew up, so I could take my local Sassenach posse on a field trip. I also figured we'd be seeing Jamie at the tea party in Boston.... but instead we're going to be subjected to Claire's shift being stuck between her breasts in  unbearable Southern temps. But dinna worry, lassies... It's all good.

Oh and speaking of Redcoats being all over our asses in the colonies, I'm thinking Diana shouldn't have killed Jack Randall. Wouldn't he be outstanding in that capacity?

PS - And speaking of Jack Randall and the colonies, this makes me miss Heath Ledger. :(