Roger and Brianna Video

Found this from randomnessfanvids on youtube today. Discuss!

Another Great Outlander Chat!

Thanks for another great Outlander chat, y'all!  I had a great time, even thought I didn't get there until an hour after it started! 

Love the Monday night chats - you all are so much fun to dish with.

Have a great week; we'll see you in Purgatory!!

Outlander Chat Tonight!

Chat tonight! 9PM Eastern! 

I might not be at chat tonight but Tracey will be there. (A dear friend of mine is a merchant marine and is shipping out on Wednesday for three months... and we are taking him to dinner this evening. I hope to make it to at least some of the chat!)

We are using new chat software tonight and it's way cool and verra easy to use. A couple things:
*You can change the color and size of your text. Try to pick a shade that is different from other chatters. It makes it so much easier to keep track of a conversation you're having.

*For those who like to VIEW in chat - but not actually SAY anything - you can still do this! Just pick a nickname to sign in with (seriously - Mickey Mouse works!) and then just watch. (Jamie knows ye love to watch.)

Enjoy - and let me know if you have any questions or issues!

More Fun with the Frasers

So I'm watching the Fraser videos and I'm seeing photographs of Frasers who fought in South Africa in the early 19th century. And I'm thinking "These were descendants of Jamie Fraser's family!!" And then I think to myself "My god! Jamie Fraser is a fictional character! I...am... LOSING IT!" 

And here's another thing that's kindof cool to think about. What year did we leave off in Echo? 1778? Simon Fraser died in London (ahem turncoat ahem) in 1782. (He was the son of Simon the Fox who was briefly imprisoned and later got all the Fraser lands back by jumping into bed with the British government. Not that I'm judging or anything.) Could we get a glimpse of THAT storyline, perhaps, in the famous upcoming Book 8???

And here's the thing that bugs me. Should I be annoyed with the Old Fox's son, Simon, for seemingly kissing the British government's  ass in the 18th century after Culloden? Should I consider him a turncoat? Or should I assume he did everything he did (including becoming close with the British Prime Minister and living on Downing Street in London when he died) in order to win back his father's stolen lands, no matter what the cost to his personal integrity? Perhaps it's a mixture of both. 

Again - a big thanks to "L" for posting that link and getting my Fraser juices flowing today. I needed it.

Highland Clans - Fraser

Ho. Ly. COW!!!!!! My Outlander Purgatory bud "L" posted a link to this on the comments section of another post and WOWWY MACWOWWY is it a JACKPOT! You will be thrilled with your knowledge of the Frasers while watching this. And if THAT weren't enough - we get to meet Simon Fraser - the CURRENT Lord Lovat!! And might I say he is one TASTY TUNA! AND he's got a long, straight nose! OutSTANDing!!!!! ENJOY!!!



Wow. Video one got my juices flowing. This one... made me cry. Ethnic cleansing, indeed.

Pillars of the Earth: Tom Builder and Jamie Fraser

SPOILER ALERT: Dinna read unless you have read Pillars of the Earth!!!

Watched Pillars of the Earth on Starz last night. I never miss it. I think it's fantastic. I think they're sticking with the storyline so well. (Then again it's been 1.5 years since I've read the book and my memory is not what it used to be. I could be blissfully ignorant here.)

Last night as I was watching Tom Builder (sobbbbb!) and his son, John... I couldn't help but think of Jamie and young Willy at Helwater. The storylines have similarities:  they both are living in close quarters with sons who don't know they are their fathers. Both men love these boys and want the best for them and love them enough to live the lie. It's truly heartbreaking.

In addition.. a few interesting things: 

Both men are with women who are outsiders... and thought of as witches because of it.

Both men are responsible for many people - be they friends or employees - and have the weight of the world on their shoulders. Both men choose to meet this challenge head-on and welcome it.

Both men have to do back-breaking work in order to survive and provide for those around them.

Both men have a remarkable amount of honor. And as their audience, we're always aware of it.

I could go on and on....

Blame Diana

Just heard "Way Down Now" by World Party on my iPod... and thought of how I'm feeling in this state of PURGATORY while I wait for the next Outlander novel. And I had to laugh. We're all in the same boat, sassenachs. That's what makes it bearable; I know I'm not alone.

Blame Diana; I do. ;)

She took us by the hand
Hell was the promised land 

I'm way down now
I'm way down now

I'm lying by the road
Because she cut off all my clothes
I'm way down now
Way down now

Won't you show me something true today?
C'mon and show me anything but this...

Inside my future eye
What I see just makes me cry
I'm way down now
I'm way down now

The clocks will all run backwards
All the sheep will have two heads
And Thursday night and Friday
Will be on Tuesday night instead

And I know I'm not alone...
And I know I'm not alone...

And I know I'm not alone!

Anything but this...

Diana, What Have you Done to me?!

So I have been fruitlessly trying to read "other" books lately... to no avail. I knew it would happen eventually. I knew - when I was somewhere around The Fiery Cross or A Breath of Snow and Ashes - that I would eventually be "finished" the Outlander books that have been written to date. I knew, and yet, I didn't know. I didn't understand what life would be when didn't have a "new to me" Outlander novel ready at the bedside table.

I was hoping for something like the Outlander series - adventure, romance, with excellent writing (I'll settle for "good") - that keeps you on your toes. Right now I'm trying Dangerous Highlander by Donna Grant. Meh. The story is interesting enough... and there is some Diana-esque Scots speak thrown in for good measure.. like "dinna", "nae" and even "cockstand" ... But it just doesna compare.  Words like "rod" just make me giggle... no matter how hot the subject matter.

So here's my question: While nothing can compare to Diana, have you read any books that came close?

Outlander Chat Tonight

Outlander chat at 9PM Eastern. We MAY have a special guest tonight; still working on it.  Two words: Third Sister

A Transitional Period

Not much posting going on around here the past few days because I have been diligently trying to create a new and improved blog design that will be fantastico. 

COMMA HOWEVER

I just had to make mention of the interesting debate Tracey and I had the other day. (When are they ever NOT interesting when Jamie Fraser is involved?)

I finished listening to Outlander on audio last week... and can't get something out of my mind. All throughout the third sister's hilarity - and my design efforts of the weekend - I have been bothered by Jamie telling Murtagh to tell Claire that he wanted her to leave.

He told MURTAGH to give her such delicate news? That was a low point for Jamie. And please don't say "Carol he was just kidnapped, raped and almost hanged, of COURSE it was a low point." I get all of that. But to tell Claire to go back to where she came from was bad enough. To do it through MURTAGH - or ANYONE else for that matter... ugh. Just...not what I've come to expect from James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser.

One thing I kept telling Tracey was that I was so thoroughly impressed by Claire's non-wavering attitude about the whole thing. Never once did she crumble... or question Jamie's love for her... or think to herself "oh god! He wants me to leave?? Seriously?! But I thought he loved me! Can we not get past this? Does he not love me anymore? And how the hell would I get back at this point? Oh my GOD HE WANTS ME TO LEAVE!!" as I would have absolutely done - don't even doubt it for a minute. I would have flipped out in my head and rocked back and forth while sucking my thumb under a pew in the church at 2AM while watching the host on the alter. But not Claire. She's just all "Yeah - right - whatever, Jamie... I'll be back later and we'll see about that fever now shall we, hmmm? OK...Righty O...that's it... you rest now...kthxbye!"

Seriously. Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser is one bad-ass-mo-fo. If I could, I'd buy her a wallet like Jules' in Pulp Fiction. (That little comment is for Tracey because she loves herself some Pulp Fiction.)

PS - Y'all. It's time for a video, is it not? I'm thinking Tracey and I must Skype....STAT!