Carol's Casting Couch

SPOILER ALERT: This section if full of spoilers. Enter at your own risk!

Ian Murray Jr. 
My Ian Murray Jr. would be played by Joe Mazzello. I knew the moment I saw him in HBO's "The Pacific".  He's perfect.  Ian is tall and homely with the most beautiful, soulful brown eyes.  Joe Mazzello has or can be all of the above. (I'm sorry about the "homely" thing, Joe! I think you're adorable!) He's even got a wide mouth like Jamie. And he can saunter. And even though he's thin, he's muscular and solid. And most importantly,  he can ACT. Joe Mazzello impressed me more than any actor has in a long time. I'm showing you two videos because you really have to see him move and speak to understand why he'd be so perfect as Ian.

Jenn M made a really great comparison: Joe Mazzello's character comes home from war a completely different person... just like Ian Murray comes home from the Mohawk a very changed man, indeed. Both of these characters begin as boys, but become men in front of our eyes... due to their brutal surroundings. I'm telling you - if you didn't see The Pacific, try to rent it when it comes out on video.



Geillis Duncan
My older Geillis Duncan would be played by Cathy Moriarty. She was my Geillis when I read Outlander... but I always figured she was too old to play the part. Imagine my THRILL when she showed up 20 years later in Voyager!

JUST DO IT!

I have this problem. I make things harder than they have to be. When my house is a mess, I see the whole house simultaneously in my brain and get so overwhelmed I don't know what to do... instead of taking one room at a time.

When I saw the Book and Writers' Community over at Compuserve, I was panicked by the vast number of posts... and stared at my computer screen like Cindy Brady stared at the red light during the quiz show ("Baton Rouge, Cindy! Baton Rouge!").. instead of just picking a topic and replying.

When I've thought about posting my casting choices for Outlander movie/series, there were some I didn't have pegged... and I have put off posting a casting entry forever... because I was waiting until I knew who I wanted for everyone.

Well NO MORE! Today I jumped in over at Compuserve (Karen are you proud of me?!).... and I am going to post some casting choices momentarily. So sit right back and you'll hear a tale...

And oh yeah... my house. Weeeeel... (rubs chin).. 2 outta 3 ain't bad!

The Big Outlander Reread

SPOILER ALERT: Dinna read unless you've read the first two pages of OUTLANDER. 

So I started again. I didna get far but WOW - the things you miss the first time around! Seriously... the things I took for granted during my first go-round are totally interesting now!

Who knew the entire series opens with Claire's light brown curly hair? Not I, said the fairy queen. And Mrs. Baird! I barely remember her. She's like the modern day Mrs. Bug! I'm getting Wizard of Oz vibes here! Is Claire going to wake up in the B&B when this is all over and say "And you were there... and you... and you!" pointing at Mrs. Baird aka Mrs. Bug and Frank aka Jack Randall???

So there Claire is, discussing Olgilvie home perms and trying to get away from Mrs. Baird... and I'm thinking "Run, Claire.. Run! Run to the stones! You won't be sorry!"

And then I read a bit about Claire and Frank having a little afternoon delight whilst Mrs. Baird vacuumed outside their door.. and I kiiiiiinda threw up in my mouth a little. Frank Randall, indeed. I may have to skip these little amorous parts between the two of them... because I feel dirty.... like she's cheating on Jamie. I mean.. if she was with Jamie 200 years ago... then that already happened, right? And m'girl's CHEATING with Frank. Jamie was her husband first!

Damn if I know. Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Jamie Fraser or Frank Randall?

Survey says: JAMIE!!!

POST SCRIPTUM: WOW WAIT til you hear THIS! I was going to give credit for the standing stones photo above.. and when I went to the homepage of the website... I found out it was taken by someone named...

wait for it....

JOCASTA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And she makes BEAUTIFUL, handcrafted cards... so check out Art in Nature... and Jocasta!

Find a Happy Place

SPOILER ALERT: Dinna read unless you've read An Echo in the Bone. 

Maybe it's the rain. Maybe it's the wind. Maybe it's the FREEZING COLD day in New Jersey. Or maybe... just maybe... it's JFW.

Jamie Fraser Withdrawal.

I knew this day would come. I just didna know so soon. Lassies - I just made oatmeal biscuits with beef stew for dinner. Now why do you think I did that? I even served them with honey. My god. I'm starting to understand Claire's doage of Lord John. Hell I'm making BISCUITS AND STEW to feel closer to Jamie. At this point, fornicating with his BFF doesna sound so "out there", ya know?

School pick-up today was the hardest it's been since I finished the series. Absolutely brutal. Probably because it was pouring buckets of rain and I was stuck in my car with nothing but my Kindle. Detect a bad attitude toward my Kindle today? Well you're right. I'm angry at that non-"new Charlaine Harris novel"-offering daughter of a pocked whore. Mmmmphhhh!!!! So I read through parts of Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade... but quickly headed over to Outlander. Yup. The wedding night. I'll admit it. I went straight to it... like an addict to the crack, I tell ya.  That is what I've become. An addict in withdrawl, rifling through bathroom cabinets and pulling up cushions on my couch... just looking for a hit. Somewhere. Anywhere. No matter how small and insignificant. I'll take it, yes I will. I'll take it because I've had 8 STRAIGHT MONTHS OF LOVELY, MOIST, FRESH JAMIE FRASER.... and now I have nothing. It makes my Edward Cullen withdrawal look like giving up gum for Lent.  How I'm going to survive this (without gaining 50 pounds since I had THREE, count 'em, THREE biscuits with butter and honey) I'll never know.

Outlander Chat Tonight!

Dinna forget Outlander chat tonight at 9PM Eastern! Hope to see you then, sassenachs!

The Compuserve Books and Writers Community

The Compuserve Book and Writers Community is a GREAT place to go for all things Diana Gabaldon. It answers SO MANY questions... is chock full of posters who are just as Outlander-rabid as myself... and has post after post from Herself... some with wee gifties such as excerpts of future books. And it is moderated by a good friend to My Outlander Purgatory, Miss Karen, herself.

COMMA HOWEVER. I want to take Karen's advice and introduce myself. But I am just one of those people who has a horrendous dime diving into anything (unless, of course, it's a chocolate cake).  I am a little intimidated with so many seasoned posters... and don't want to make a bad impression right out of the gate.

So - Karen - please answer something for me - as well as those reading this post who have the same question:

What is the best way to jump in and say "Hi" on Compuserve? Should we start a new thread to introduce ourselves?  Or is there a Newbie thread we should jump into first?

THANK YOU KAREN! (said like "Thank You Easter Bunny!  Bok Bok!")

My Scottish Games FAIL!

The fact that I didn't see THIS until this afternoon hurts me to my core. THE 78 FRASER HIGHLANDERS IN CONCERT, NO LESS! I TOTALLY would have ROAD TRIPPED TO THIS!!!

Laphroaig Whisky

Am I posting a video about making whisky? Yes, yes I am.  This is what Jamie and Claire and Fergus and Marsali and the whole gang were always up to on the Ridge. Pretty cool, no?

Thee's Plans for the Future

SPOILER ALERT: Dinna read unless you've finished AN ECHO IN THE BONE.

OK - I read the last chapter again. I DEFINITELY missed that the Fergster has been hanging with Randall-Isaacs. Just WAIT until Uncle Jamie puts two and two together about THAT guy.

I am in the same place I was when I last read it. Wondering what Ian and Rachel will do in the future. BUT - I loved watching Ian fear he had lost... only to hear her say she loved him and that they'd work it out (in thee's lovely wolf language.) I was so completely flipping out the last time that I definitely read that chapter too fast.

What do YOU think will happen to Ian and Rachel?

A Lovely Birdhouse on the Bank of a River?

SPOILER ALERT: Dinna read unless you've finished the whole bloody series.

So last night around 3AM I had a visit from my 8 year old who I now know (one doctor's visit later) has strep throat. And while I was lying there trying to get back to sleep, all I could think of was Ian and Rachel.

Are they going to get married? I get the whole "Thee is my wolf" conversation (and loved it) but I don't see how that solves anything. As I once heard Drew Barrymore utter in Ever After: "A bird may love a fish, Signore, but where would they live?" If they get married - she'll be kicked out of the Meeting. Will she do it anyway? And if they don't get married, but live together, she'll be living in sin, and I dinna think Rachel would ever do anything of the sort.

Clearly I raced through this part and am missing something. I'm going back to read it right now. And since I'm home with "nuthin' to do, nowhere to go" - I'll be back shortly.