A Quick Mention...

SPOILER ALERT:  Dinna read unless you've read Chapter 16 in Written in My Own Heart's Blood.

I FINALLY was able to sit down and read this afternoon...and no sooner did I start than I had to STOP.  And blog.

"He had in fact suggested that they walk together to Matson's Ford..."

Tracey and I went to high school on Matsonford Road.  The mentions of the Battle of Brandywine, Valley Forge, The Paoli Massacre were one thing...but Matson's Ford?  This is getting to be too much (in an awesome way.)  It's like Christmas for my eyes.

Tracey says it's like Diana Gabaldon was living under our childhood home's stairs like Harry Potter.  (I almost soiled myself at that thought...but I digress.)

SO - I thought it would be cool to create a MOBY MAP, showing locations in MOBY as I come across them in the book.  There will be a few that might not be mentioned in the book...but were involved in situations in the book...and after growing up in the area, are places that are near and dear to my heart.

I'm hoping those of you who don't live anywhere near Pennsylvania or New Jersey who have never visited these locations will really enjoy getting "the feel" of the book.

Enjoy!!!

MOP's TOBIAS TUESDAY!

15 Down...5 Zillion Dreamy Chapters to Go

Spoiler Alert:  I have read 15 chapters in Written in My Own Heart's Blood!  (I still canna believe I'm saying that.  I never thought this day would come!) 

WOW.  What a difference four years make!

As I've told some of you already, I am not racing through MOBY.  No way.  I mean to take my time about it, aye?  There is no way I'm going to race through this puppy and sit around bewildered and rocking back and forth in my happy place until the next one comes out.  If I had the willpower, I'd read half a page a day until Book 9!!!

Remind me I said all of this when I'm halfway through the book in a few days and whining to you all about this or that (she says with a wave of her hand.  Is it me or does everyone wave their hands a lot in MOBY??  It makes me giggle and wonder if DG does a lot of hand-waving at home to her poochies and my best friend, Doug.)

OK...SO...I am going to give a quick synopsis of what I've read so far.  This is the Reader's Digest version as I left off at a juicy part and must go read.

First off...I have the sickest love/hate relationship with Lord John.  One minute I'm all "Oh I loveeee Lord Johnnnn...he's so witty (and pretty...and gayyyy!)" and the next I'm thinking "You snotty English bastard.  Jamie should have killed you when he had the chance."  Now poor Jamie's laid up in poor Mrs. Whatshername's cot with pain shooting up through his left but-tock (said like Forrest Gump) while Lord John is laid up with the indent of Jamie's knuckles in his upper cheekbone.

One does notice the parallel, does one not?

It's a good thing those girls came back with sausage and the makings for johnnycakes because I did NOT want to think about our beloved Jamie with a void in his wame.

And could I have LOVED IT MORE when he was sittin' round the table, kabitzing with the likes of Washington and Mad Anthony Wayne???  Oh it was positively DELISH for our history dorks lovers.  I could SMELL the woodsmoke!!!!

And by the way, I watch TURN...so MY Washington is smokin' hot.

Now on to Claire.  I've waited four+ years to say this Lordddddddd Claire!  Girl...can you ever stop your ministrations, even when the person receiving said ministrations could possibly get you killed?  No, I suppose not.  And I've always loved Hal so much...so I'm hardly bothered by his being fed some lovely cannabis tea.  It would have been classic if Claire cut to the chase and lit up a bone.  (How much would you love to witness a mutual Claire/Hal high, resulting in high-pitched cackling a la JoBeth Williams in Poltergeist?!  Oh that would have made my DAY!!!)

And is it me?  Or is Jenny the greatest comic relief to come down the pike since Laugh In?!?  I have done a complete ONE EIGHTY on this woman!!!  I HATED her at the end of Echo...and now I canna WAIT until she shows up in a scene!  I want to THANK Diana Gabaldon for burying that hatchet so quickly and not making us wait around through some stupid girl-fight between Jenny and Claire.

AIN'T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT!!!

And I want to know what's going on down at that print shop, too.  She keeps excusing herself to go down there and find out what's going on.  I mean...dinna get me wrong, I'd be making every excuse in the book to go hang out with Fergus as well...but still.  The Brits are leaving, man.  It's not safe out there!!!

Off to read, y'all.  A girl can only stand so much!!!

MOP's TOBIAS TUESDAY!

Tobias Menzies in The Deep.

MOP Chat Cancelled Tonight

Tracey and I have decided to cancel MOP Chat this evening to give everyone a chance to continue reading MOBY without the threat of spoilers.  We are also headed to see Diana Gabaldon at the Free Library in Philadelphia tomorrow...and plan to stop by some of the locations in MOBY.  You know...Valley Forge...Wayne (named for Anthony Wayne)...and what's that other town??  Oh yeah...

REMEMBER PAOLI!!!    

Be afraid.  And be expecting some amusement on MOP in the next few days as I have every intention of blogging/vlogging about our trip!!!

I Couldna Help Myself, Sassnachs

A Very Special Spoiler Message

I am a spoiler freak.  The slightest thing can really mess with my brain while I'm reading.  Some people are fine with knowing that "something happens" on chapter __ or page __.  Not me.  The mere suggestion of anything - no matter how small or insignificant it seems to others - throws my cranium into a tailspin.  Why?  Because I like the element of surprise.  I don't want to find myself looking for - or waiting for - something to happen.  And it doesn't matter how small the situation is; I don't want to know so much as what type of soap Jamie is washing his hands with.  It's just the way I operate.  THANK YOU SO much, you awesome fellow Outlander peeps, for understanding.  :)

Shazam! Here We Go Again!

SPOILER ALERT:  Dinna read unless you have reached 4% in Written in My Own Heart's Blood! (Still canna believe I actually have it.  It's like a dream.) 

Before I talk MOBY, let me just say that I am not rushing through this book.  If I had any guts at all, I'd be like MOP bud, Tonya and wait until a few months before Book 9 comes out to read MOBY.  It is beyond enthralling to know you have unread Gabaldon at the ready.  But...alas...my will power is in the toilet...and I was sneakily peeking at 3AM the morning the book came out.

Soooo...that's why I'm only at 4%.  (Well that and the cray cray last two weeks of last-weeks-of-school mom hell I'm living this week and next.)

Let's go over a few points about what I've already read, shall we?

1 - TURTLE EFFING SOUP, PEOPLE!!!!  Could Diana have given us a better gift this early in the story than reminding us of Claire feverishly biting the berth?  No, no she could NOT!  (jumps up and down and claps hands) It was 3 AM and there it was, jumping off the page like manna from the heavens.  And for that I'm truly grateful.

2 - Here's me - in tears - at 3AM on Tues - reading about Jamie tapping the tune of the lone ranger on the door.  THAT - alone - was worth 4 years, if you're truly a Jamie Fraserphile such as myself.

No, I'm not playing a cool cat in LA!
I'm playing a Revolutionary War dude!

3 - LIBERTY CAPS!!!  Do we not swoon over Abraham Woodhull (Jamie Bell) in his liberty cap on Turn every Sunday?!  Love that!!

4 - Jethro Woodbine.  There is a "Woodbine" avenue in Philadelphia.  Just had to point that out.  Miss Erin (MOP Chat Frequent Flyer) will giggle when she sees this.

5 - "he was weeping savagely, tears running down his own face, and his wet, half-hard cock flopping out of his breeches."  This.  THIS is why I love William.  He's such a conundrum.  He's so perfect on the outside while being vulnerable (and downright clueless sometimes) on the inside.  He's like a wide-eyed child, trying so hard to be important...but the harder he tries, the sillier he appears.  It's impossible for me not to find him completely endearing, no matter what attitude he's spewing or sticky situation he's gotten himself into on any given day.

(Just realized how the above quote would look to someone who has never read the book.  I swear, it's not porn!  Read the series!!)

I wonder if Jenny and Claire will ever
go shopping for trendy duds and lip gloss. 

I want to throw a genuine Thank You out there to Diana Gabaldon for not making us suffer though a long, drawn-out rift between Jenny and Claire.  It would have been exhausting, and it's completely refreshing to see Jenny being so sisterly to Claire (who undeniably needs a lil' love right now).  I am totally enjoy watching the two of them prattling on like the besties they should be.  I hated hating Jenny; I'm so thrilled to love her again.

Off to read...but must mention this first.  Watching Jamie kick the shit out of Lord John was the most delicious literary fun I've had in eons.  And how exciting was it that their little scuffle was interrupted?  Way to drag it out, DG.  It's like the greatest fictitious foreplay ever.

MOP's TOBIAS TUESDAY!!!

You didn't think I'd forget on this holiest of days, did ya? Not ONLY is it MOBY Day...but it's also TOBIAS TUESDAY!! And just feast your eyes on that lusciousness!

My thanks to Connie for directing me toward this amazing photo from the set of Outlander Starz.

Strap on your seatbelts, kids...it's going to be a WILD RIDE!!!

MOBY IS HERE!!!

"Waiting by the mailbox in a lawn chair with a bottle of Pinot Grigio" this time?  I don't THINK so!!!  I was reading at 3AM!!!  I am ecSTATic!!  I have so much to say after only 5 chapters!!  

MORE TO COME!!