miscellaneous

The Thru The Stones Convention…part 2

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living in moments…

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My friend Jane Anne Davis had arrived from Atlanta hours before me and was on her lonesome.  I messaged her periodically to see how she was faring and to report my ETA. We hadn’t seen each other in over a year and a half and in the meantime, Jane had kicked not one, but two types of cancers’ ass! This was going to be our little celebratory break from real-life and we were anticipating lots of laughter and downright silliness! She was a little concerned because she had tried to make friendly overtures, but was feeling like a wallflower at a jr. high dance.  I arrived at the hotel and promptly went to our room. I couldn’t figure out why Jane wasn’t answering my insistent knocks and so, I called her.  We both figured out pretty quickly why I wasn’t standing in front of the door she had just opened and I was thankful no one was home in room 7002 and then drug my travel disheveled self down the hall to the elevators, across the lobby, past the gift shop, desk, casino, buffet, snack shop, and onto the elevator that would take me to room 702.  This time when I knocked Jane answered and I dragged my huge suitcase that had lost a leg somewhere in the airport into the room, I let go of the suitcase that promptly fell over cuz…missing leg and gave Jane a big hug!

“We are going to push each other to talk to everyone!”, I pronounced. “We are going to make sure we have fun!”

And we did!  When folks walked by us the next morning, we tried to guess who was there for the convention. We decided plaid was a fairly predictable clue and if you were wearing plaid/tartan sorry about your luck, but we were talking to you!  Some folks weren’t too hard to figure out. Their Outlander and Through the Stones matching T-shirts were dead giveaways. We met a lovely couple who had never read the books, but were here because of the TV series and had the costumes to prove it!

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We joked that her husband looked enough like Ron Moore to be his brother!  We then talked with a lovely lady who was a retired jr. high science teacher.  She was sporting a fun vest chock full of Outlander pins and patches.  She told us she loved Outlander’s historical aspects and that she spent a lot of her time volunteering.  She shared with us that her team (the Hoosier Honeypots) had a plan to win the trivia contest and therefore, dinner with Terry Dresbach!  She showed us a copy of a book of questions she had created and had been studying.  I think she said there were 800 questions! I’m not sure if her group won, but she looked like she was going to have a blast anyway!  They had a rooting section with signs!

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Eventually, we made our way to lunch where I happened upon folks I talk to very frequently on Twitter, but had never met! Sitting with Cyndi Hayes was Carole Braun and her friend Sandy Dawar and Jill Shirley.  I just kept looking at these folks I felt I knew!  It was a bit surreal. I told Jill she looked awfully familiar to me and I kept feeling like we had met before. We talked for a little bit about attending the event and I happened to mention going to NYC Tartan Week.  Suddenly, Jill jumped up and hugged me as she realized we had stood beside each other at the Tartan Week parade!  Small world isn’t it when you are an Outlander fan? I had a lovely time getting to know Jill and listening to her stories about meeting Ron Moore at the ball park in California!  Meeting likeminded folks and my Twitter friends were some of the great moments that TTS afforded me.

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ME AND JILL LAUGHING JUST BECAUSE

We walked over to the convention center to register and peruse the goods for sale at Beardsley’s Trading Post. I found a sweet pair of thistle earrings to match the necklace my husband bought me last year!  There was a great mixture of items including a place to swap books!

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TRIVA!

The next big event of the day was the Trivia contest!  Jane Anne and I had decided that we were just playing for kicks and giggles (even though I AM pretty bad-ass at trivia because I seem to know a lot of worthless and obscure shite) so, when I saw Mother Hildegarde’s Novices was looking for four members that just wanted to have fun we asked to join!  What a great bunch of ladies!  They evidently knew what was up because they came with decorations and gift bags and some food! Buton was laid in the center of our table on a swathe of plaid and our gift bags included a Starbucks card, chocolates and some homemade cherry bounce!  I think I’ve made some new Outlander friends in Terri Somgynari, Sandra Hicks and Carla Jasinski!

 

I was just biting into a piece of gifted shortbread when I heard my name being called.  It was fellow blogger Connie Verzak and I stood up and braced myself for the hug she had warned me I was going to get!  And, the answer to your question is yes, she is just as funny in person along with being warm, kind, and wicked smart.  This was one of my favorite moments!  Just sitting and laughing with Connie and her friends was one of the highlights of my weekend.  She is truly a unique person and I loved meeting her!

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CONNIE AND I

Mother Hildegarde’s Novices laughed our way through the first round of trivia and then we heard some clapping.  On stage stood Terry Dresbach wishing everyone a good time. I have to say meeting Terry was “THE” moment for me.  Like a lot of other fans, I’ve been interacting with Terry on Twitter for quite a while now. She is just who I thought she was kind, gracious, beautiful, funny, wise, and talented.  The woman has confidence and personality to spare! Terry went from table to table greeting everyone. I’m sure she could feel the love and wanted to make sure everyone knew it was reciprocated.

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JANE ANNE, TERRY AND ME

Trivia was fun and challenging! We headed back to our rooms at the end of the night feeling like we had been part of a moment of love for Diana Gabaldon’s story.  A lot of people knew a lot about those books.  Me thinks perhaps we have all read them a few times!

SATURDAY

The next day started early, I think I was too excited to sleep for long! We headed out to get breakfast and then find our first workshop class.  We found a seat around the big fireplace in the north tower lobby and wondered how this was going to work.  A large group of us were here to “talk” about Outlander.  The lady who was leading the class was a neighbor of Debbie Ford’s. She said she was taking credit for introducing Debbie to the books and therefore planting the seed that lead to TTS!  I noticed that she had what appeared to be a list of discussion topics in her hand.  It was a fairly large list and I once again admired the attention to detail and thought that went into preparing for this conference.  I had to laugh because she only got to ask one maybe two questions because if you give an Outlander fan an inch to talk about Outlander we’ll take a mile!   It was fascinating learning about how folks found the books and what the story and series had contributed to their lives.  As per usual, we agreed on our love for the series, but EVERYONE had different ideas about how successfully those books had been transferred to the screen. I think we all agreed to disagree and despite our different opinions, I left feeling part of a very large, diverse group of folks who were passionate about this story!

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The next class for us was the improv group.  There were other classes available that included everything from whiskey tasting (at 8:30 in the morning) to sword fighting! I was starting to feel a bit nervous as it was getting closer to time for my very first press conference.  I asked Jane for a few minutes to gather my nerves and she went ahead.  I sat in the lobby going over my questions and testing my tape recorder.  I heard a group of people behind me discussing the show and books and looked over to see several men in ties talking to a lady who was gushing about how if they loved the show they needed to read the books!  I checked the name of the room I was supposed to be in for the press conference for about the fifth time and decided I was as prepared as I was ever going to be and headed in for the comedy show.  As I was speaking to Jane, the troupe came into the room.  It was the men in ties from the lobby who called themselves “Guys In Ties”.  They were great and made sure to let everyone know they had watched the show and were addicted.  They asked the audience for help with the improv topics and we are a sick bunch, LOL!  They seemed a bit taken back and I loved it!  This comedic moment was just what I needed.  After it was over, Jane headed for the Scottish themed lunch and I to the press conference.  If you missed it here is my blog on that conference (link).

Loved the quilt presented to Terry by the Bonnie Beasties fan club after the press conference.  Deann Roberts shared that they have previously created quilts for Sam Heughan and Cait Balfe and their group wanted to create one in appreciation of Ron and Terry.  Squares with Outlander themes and messages to Terry and Ron were sent from all over the world  and then stitched together and quilted.  I overheard one of their group members say they wanted to “cover them in kindness” and I thought that was so sweet.

Soon everyone filed into the ballroom and found a seat for Terry’s talk on Saturday afternoon. It was perfect. She just sat down and shared. In this moment, people felt like they had gotten to know her a bit better and found her be funny, genuine, and approachable.  She said she understood that the fans were coming from a place of love.  That all that she had seen was about love. And, I have to say, everyone I talked to loved her.  In fact, I asked some attendees to share their perceptions and I’d like to share a few of their responses!

Kristen Leigh Stiner:  I thought her talk was amazing!! The way she lit up speaking about her husband and children warmed my soul!! If I had a do-over I would want to thank her for being such a strong and powerful woman!! She is truly a champion for us all yet is so very humble!! I loved her before but now she is one of my favorite people!!

Terri Somgynari : I absolutely loved how she got all emotional and teary-eyed when she talked about Ron and her children!
It was the best part..knowing how much she loves them!

Gina Kutter: Terry allows us to see the real person and real life of our favorite costume designer! She draws us in to the Outlander family with her insights and tidbits! She embodies that Outlander truly is all about love!

Mary Alberg Faber: She is so funny and warm. The thing that struck me is how much she seemed to enjoy being there, and with us. Her attitute is inspiritional. Just watching the joy in her face when talking about Ron, the show, the stars, etc. gives me joy, in return. It was like talking to your best friend. (Oh yeah, she’s a fan – maybe a bit of a closet fan; not quite at the totally obsessed stage.)

Janice Schurr:  I, too, am not a “fangirl”. I don’t order t-hirts, or jewelry, or any of that stuff, although I’ve made donations to charities. I’ve never attended a fan gathering. But, this was more than that – it truly felt like a gathering of friends. Like a giant bookclub, where we all could express our opinions and share our love of the show and the guests. Plus, Debbie Belshause Ford and her crew made it seem personal – not just something put on by an organization or PR force, but something done by true fans. I think Terry’s chat fit the group so well. It was like sitting around your living room chatting with a friend, not a “canned speech”. And Grant, with his lovely sense of humor, was so personable and seemed to so like being there, despite his adventures in travel!

Thrynn Kirby: Was incredibly flattered to see her put as much energy and attention into sharing herself and our wonderful gathering as she does with everything . This was no fly by visit. This was one HUGE HUG from a fabulous lady. I am a fan ( read as one who loves) Ron is right. She does make the sun come out!

Tina Schröder Eakins:  I loved that Terry SAW us. Not just as a group of fans, but as individuals. I really felt she was there for a chat, sitting on a chair, rather than a speaker.

Tammy Petree Proux:  I was unsure what my opinion of her was before the convention. I just know that I loved the previous convention and the fun we had. I trusted in Debbie Belshause Ford to bring great people to everyone (along with great times). I was impressed with how normal, like all of us Terry seems to be. She was extremely approachable. I loved that she came and mingled with all of us during trivia competition; I know we were all caught by surprise. She has a normal relationship with her husband. I enjoyed her relating of stories of her family; the stories of Ron and his Disney love. There are so many things. I imagine she has some interesting views on politics, but it was good that it was left out of this arena. (Though I would have loved to discuss with her as I’m sure we’re on the same page lol.)

Susan Hundt:  I really appreciated her candor and her insights on fandom, especially coming to the conclusion that it is all about love.

Helen Kratzer Lyness:  The instant connection we find with others at this event is amazing! Meet a stranger walking along with you in the hallway or in the elevator and they are immediate friends as you begin to talk about all the things you have in common. “Where are you from?” “Are you a book reader, or a show watcher?” When did YOU discover the books?” “Who turned you on to the books, or the show?” “Do you love Dougal or hate him?” What is your favorite part of Book One?” and so on . . . we have a new friend, connected in one moment, now friends forever! Thru the Stones does that for us!

I think that Terry has been adopted into the fandom.

SAT NIGHT WAS ALRIGHT!

Saturday night was the culminating event and we were treated to a Parisian dinner!

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photo credit Becky Wiley

Each item on the menu had a connection to the books.  I really liked the Chicken Dargentan that perhaps the Countess St. Germain liked!  People wandered the room in costumes from the various time periods in the books.  This was so great!  There was such a huge variety of costume choices!  Some folks were all out Parisian!

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Others chose Scotland and a salute to the Jacobites…

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Others were rocking 1700’s Scotland, the 1940’s, and 1968.  I was impressed and I think Terry was too!

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photo credits to Becky Wiley (aren’t they terrific!)

The creativity Terry’s designs inspired felt like a love letter to her art and talent!  It was hard to pick, but I have to say I had my favorites. Cyndi Hayes WWII nurse Claire walked around the banquet swilling champagne and making us all smile in delight!

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Carole Braun’s version of Frank was a hoot and I loved how he kept trying to keep “drinking” Claire in line.

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photo credits Becky Wiley

Yvonne Cloonan as Wee Roger with his biscuits in hand made us all clap in happy recognition.

There were a couple of renditions of the bar suit

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and I loved the “deed” lady and 1968 Claire in trench coat and head scarf!

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Missy Hermes as the deed of sasine lady and Julie Chenoweth Tierstriep as Claire

Terry shared on Twitter a delightful pair of sneakers done up by Karen Boilard as a homage to the red shoes and an 88 year old fan dressed as Claire who had captured her heart!

Every time you turned around, someone’s ingenuity and attention to detail caused you to drop your jaw, laugh and smile.  I’m so grateful for this bunch!  They really added to the spirit of the convention and the fun.

THIS MAN WAS SERIOUSLY ENTERTAINING

Grant O’Rourke was the keynote speaker and I have to say I haven’t been that entertained by a “speech” in a long time.   I can’t think of a moment that lagged.  I found myself mesmerized and leaning forward to hear what funny, self-deprecating, and delightful thing he would say next.  I think we were all moved by his definition of what it was like to be a Dad to his “wee man”.  “It’s like falling in love everyday”, he explained.  His description of his talking Star Trek with Ron Moore was priceless.  His failed joke had me laughing so hard I was crying.  The silence, he added, in response to his comment was so deafening that even crickets backed out of the room. I would chortle about this at random moments throughout the rest of my trip.

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photo credit Becky Wiley

There were some charming moments in the Q&A with Grant and Terry and the evening was rounded out with a meet and greet and dessert.

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photo credit Heather Frey

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES

I had some difficulty getting home (many of us did).  It snowed!  I said goodbye to Jane and thanked her for a lovely weekend and headed for the airport at 8:30 am.

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At about one, I saw Jane again…at the airport where I got a very spicy Bloody Mary and we “punch drunk” tweeted other people who were “stuck in Iowa”.

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Even Grant got delayed and ended up going home with Debbie Ford.  I loved the idea of him spending time with a Midwest family and giggled at the image of him riding in a big four-wheel drive truck (they had to talk him out of climbing into the back!). After several cancelled flights and sitting on the tarmac until they cleaned up the birds Jane’s plane had hit, I finally made it home.  I pulled into my driveway in Ohio around 2:10 am tired, but full of the joy of living some great moments.

Thanks TTS.

P.S. Please, I’d love to hear about your favorite moments in the comments!

“It’s all just moments. We’re all just living in moments…” a reflection on my press conference at Thru the Stones weekend

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TTS Press Conference Dec. 3, 2016

Debbie Ford, Grant O’Rourke, Terry Dresbach

Sitting by the fireplace at the Isle in Bettendorf, Iowa, I was discussing inspiration for this blog with my friend Jane.  I had been lucky enough to be asked to be part of a press conference at the Thru The Stones Fan event with Grant O’Rourke and Terry Dresbach.

“Grant had a very interesting response to my asking about the difficulty of filming out of sequence.” I said.

We were interrupted by folks on the look out for coffee before they caught a taxi to the airport.  We offered to watch their luggage while they snuck into the casino for the only coffee available at that early hour of the morning.  Settling back in my chair, I continued to explain what I had heard Grant say.

“He didn’t seem to think it was that big of a deal.  He said you get a good sense of who your character is and how he serves the story and then act that moment.”

Jane nodded her head listening to me intently like she always does. It is one of the biggest reasons I love her.  She is genuinely interested in how and what I think.

“I told him I thought it would be difficult and that I had the idea it would be easier to build a character chronologically, but he made a very good point.  He said, “It’s all just moments. We’re all just living in moments anyway”.  I’m thinking that might be a good title for the article and a good metaphor for the weekend.”

We were interrupted again by a group of ladies we had met who needed hugs good bye before they left for each corner of the country they came from.  Lots of “so nice to meet you” and “follow me on Twitter” and “what a great time” were heard.  I gave a final hug to one of my readers I was privileged to meet and as she moved away she looked around and said “so many great moments”.   Well, that was just too much of a coincidence and it cemented my focus for this reflection.  This weekend was full of moments both great and small to be treasured and remembered.

First, let me thank the folks that worked so hard to give Outlander fans a great experience.  Thank you very much to Debbie Ford, Gin Wray, and Sandy Belshause, their families and friends like the neighbor who convinced Deb to read Outlander and the gentleman who was the voice of the convention.

Back in July, I received an invitation from Debbie to be part of a press conference at the convention.  Of course, I jumped at the chance to interview Terry Dresbach,  Outlander on Starz’, costume designer.  Like many of you, I have been interacting with Terry on Twitter and learning a lot about the business of costume designing and film making in general. I hadn’t had the opportunity to meet her and Iowa isn’t all that far from Ohio and so, I started making plans to attend.

Previously, I had plans to attend a talk given by the show’s writers in LA that totally fell through and so, I was very cautious about telling anyone this was happening until it actually did!  I got confirmation just a couple of days before the convention that Grant would be at the press conference.  I happened to be at my granddaughters’ basketball game when I opened the email and I thought out loud, “I’ve prepared some things to ask Terry, but I have no idea what to ask an actor! ”  My fourteen year-old granddaughter was sitting beside me with her boyfriend. “I’ve no idea,”she said.  However, her boyfriend seemed to have a clue, “Ask him what his favorite color is.  You can learn a lot about someone by asking them their favorite color.”  I thanked him with a straight face, but  thinking about it on the way home, I broke into a smile and thought that he might actually have come up with a great ice-breaker!  I thought I would tell Grant the story and then ask him what his favorite color was with the added warning to be careful with his choice because I would be psychoanalyzing his response later!

I never got the chance to ask the question or break the ice because I didn’t need to! Grant and Terry hadn’t seen each other in awhile and they just started talking to each other and reminiscing about life on the Outlander set and about one of Terry’s parties. It was a blast to watch them interact.  They were definitely at ease in each other’s prescence and there was a lot of teasing, smiles and laughter.  It was obvious that they both felt good about the working relationship between all those involved in the production. Grant shared that he had been convinced that he was going to lose his job and that he didn’t relax until two weeks had passed and he was filming the stable scene with Cait because Steven Walters, Angus, had told him that after two weeks it was too expensive for them to replace him! LOL!  They both shared bits and pieces of life behind the scenes that made what we see as a glamorous job a bit less so.  There appears to be a lot of standing around in the cold and mud and rain waiting.  Terry shared that Cecil B DeMille said ,”the most fascinating day on set is your first and the most boring is your second”.

Terry said that on Outlander everything has its own rewards and challenges.  And, in response to my question she added that filming out of sequence is the norm and that she thought it would be easier to film chronologically, so that, for instance, you wouldn’t have to film a Boston May in a Scotland November!  But, that it doesn’t happen that way. This led her to tell a funny story about her not realizing things were filmed out of sequence on her first job as a costume designer.  She said she loaded up a car with costumes and took them to the set and then didn’t bring them back the next day because she thought they were done!  They both discussed the importance of costumes in creating a character. She designs the costumes with the character and their place in the story in mind and shares the “why” of her costume choices with the actors.  She then went on to share how she loves it when the actors start to make the costumes their own.  Grant shared that he was very big on being able to dress himself.  It sounds as if their were discussions about whether or not Rupert would have worn this or styled his hair thus, etc.  and some changes were made.  He said he had started to make the costume his own by always carrying his tam in the same place inside his plaid whether he would be wearing it in the scene or not because Rupert would have always carried it.  There were a few more laughs over the fact that he said he hated to wear that bonnet. “NO!  Not the bonnet!  I don’t want to wear the bonnet”, he jokingly whined.  Terry talked about how Stephen Walters wrapped his plaid around a special rock he had been given which is an old Highlander way of holding the plaid in place called a pauper’s brooch.  The two shared a story about the time Stephen lost his rock and everyone was scouring the set for it!   “Looking for a particular pebble amongst other pebbles”, Terry laughed.

I learned that Grant thought the best episode in season 2 was Prestonpans and he was grateful to hear that we were moved by his performance.  In fact, he said he used to listen to pod casts, but stopped when he was listening to one on Prestonpans and they never mentioned Rupert!  (I made a mental note to check my blog on Prestonpans)  I learned that this was his first time in America which really shocked Terry and I overheard him ask Debbie how much time he had after the press conference because he really wanted to get some ribs.  She assured him that they knew a guy who would take care of that!  He is so quick and seems a very down to Earth guy with his priorities in place ( hope the wee man enjoys his cup).  Terry was funny, charming, and generous with her answers.

There weren’t any great revelations about season 3 shared, as expected and as it should be.  However, what was very obviously revealed was the care, dedication and love that each puts into their craft.  My overall impression of my time spent with them was that they were two people who work hard at their jobs and try to do the best they can just like the rest of us.  Terry strives to do her best job as a designer and Grant wants to serve the story with his acting.  The fact that we all find it so fascinating and that the show is so popular is just a bonus.  I’m convinced they would be giving the same effort, care and concern to whatever project they were involved in. They seem to have a sense that what they do will be farther reaching than they can imagine and are humbled to be part of something bigger than themselves.  They know that they are here because Diana Gabaldon wrote these wonderful books and they want to serve the story and the fans well and with love.

As moments go, I was grateful to be living this one.  We are very lucky fans.

Stay tuned part 2 coming soon!

Women Love Jamie Because He Talks In Bed…why yes,…he does and why yes,…I do

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I’ve been re-reading The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon and I forgot how many of my favorite scenes were in this book!  I think I forget because the focus when people talk about The Fiery Cross is usually about the pages (and more pages) devoted to the gathering  that I jokingly (and affectionately) call the longest day ever written.  To tell the truth, it was a bit of a slough the first time I read it, but true to almost everything Diana has written, over time, I have grown to appreciate those chapters more and more.  She has become my favorite writer and as a person who fancies herself a writer, I’m always eager to read anything about Diana’s writing process or  what she thinks about her own characters.  I want a keek at her brain!  So, I was thrilled when I recently got a delightful glimpse into her thoughts about her well beloved character James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Fraser… who talks in bed.  

Erin Conrad, of Three If By Space, tweeted from an EW fan convention that Diana, responding to a fan question, said the reason women love Jamie is “because he talks in bed”.  I giggle-snorted when I read this and then thought, “Why yes,..yes, he does and it is definitely swoon worthy”. In fact, some of my favorite  Jamie moments are found in their bed.  

There has been a lot of discussion in the fandom about what we hope to see in season 3 of Outlander on Starz.  One of the biggest things fans hope to see is more time in bed with Jamie and Claire.  Some want to see them make love because let’s face it , Diana wrote some fantastic love scenes and as one of my readers put it, “I’m not paying Starz to use my imagination!” Yep. Another reason some fans lament the lack of sex in season 2 is that they miss the communication that happens when those two are in bed together. Sex is an integral part of how they communicate with each other, it is often how they connect when words just aren’t sufficient or there are no words. However, the things Jamie does say in bed…sigh…are funny, playful, moving, tender words that really could move a heart to love him.

I tried to think of my favorite moments and to tell the truth it just isn’t possible!  Each time I would think I’d narrowed my choice down another heart warming or pounding moment would leap to mind.  From Outlander to Written in My Heart’s Own Blood, the relationship between the two is both revealed and shaped in their bed and choosing a favorite seems impossible because each moment is a part of the whole, each moment important.

During their honeymoon, Claire muses about finding herself  the sexually experienced one in the relationship and thinks “…there are in fact only a limited number of ways in which two bodies can meet, and we had not yet established that territory of intimacy in which the act of love takes infinite variety.” Diana has always maintained that writing a good sex scene isn’t about the exchange of body fluids, but about the emotional connection.  Jamie and Claire’s sex life moves into the territory of “infinite variety”  because of what is said in their bed and each “coming together” becomes unique and important.  It is the words that are said between the two that make the physical act meaningful.  When Jamie and  Claire are in bed it is as if the world goes away and he speaks to her as we all wish our men would speak to us, open and vulnerable because they trust us to be gentle with their hearts.

JAMIE THE COMIC

IMG_0427Many of the moments in Jamie and Claire’s bed are funny; what animals have you seen, hedgehogs, and the King of Ireland come to mind.  When Claire returns to him in Voyager the importance of these moments becomes clear when Jamie tells Claire he never thought he would laugh in a woman’s bed again.  Being able to laugh together in bed is rare gift of intimacy and comfortableness.

“Aye, well,” he said. “I dinna recall Adam’s asking God to take back Eve—and look what she did to him.” He leaned forward and kissed my forehead as I laughed, then drew the blanket up over my bare shoulders. “Go to sleep, my wee rib. I shall be needin’ a helpmeet in the morning.”

OUTLANDER Chapter 36:

Their laughter often makes me as teary eyed as their more serious moments.  But, the serious moments are so revealing and represent the many different levels of intimacy.

EMOTIONAL JAMIE

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One of my favorite things about Jamie is his gratefulness and I’m always moved by his expressions of gratitude for what God has given him and that most certainly includes  his relationship with Claire.

 “And yet”—he turned me toward him, hand closing gently over one breast—“yet when I think of you wi’ my child at your breast….then I feel as though I’ve gone hollow as a soap bubble, and perhaps I shall burst with joy.”
He pressed me tight against his chest, and I hugged him with all my might.
“Oh, Claire, ye do break my heart wi’ loving you.”

DRAGONFLY IN AMBER Chapter 6:

VULNERABLE JAMIE

does-it-stop“Does it ever stop? The wanting you?” “Even when I’ve just left ye, I want you so much my chest feels tight and my fingers ache with wanting to touch ye again.”  OUTLANDER, Chapter 17

I loved this scene because of the awe and wonder he expresses.  To me this is the moment when he begins to understand that sex is more than the physical act.  Every woman wants to hear that a man cannot stop feeling desire for her and that he aches for her.

JAMIE IN CHARGE

master“Not yet. We’ve time. And I mean to hear ye groan like that again. And to moan and sob, even though you dinna wish to, for ye canna help it. I mean to make you sigh as though your heart would break, and scream with the wanting, and at last to cry out in my arms, and I shall know that I’ve served ye well.”       OUTLANDER, Chapter 41

This scene signaled that Jamie has come into his own as a lover and that Claire is no longer the teacher and he the pupil. He has become aware that he has the power to make her feel and he revels in it. She, I’m sure, revels in his power, as well. Take charge Jamie is hot.

HONEST JAMIE

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Jamie is a very emotionally mature man, a man who takes ownership of his perceived failings. His honesty is startling and endearing and gives Claire permission to reveal her own confusion and weaknesses.  He makes her feel emotionally safe with his openess.

“I always thought it would be a simple matter to lie wi’ a woman,” he said softly. “And yet… I want to fall on my face at your feet and worship you”-he dropped the towel, and reached out, taking me by the shoulders-“and still I want to force you to your knees before me, and hold ye there wi’ my hands tangled in your hair, and your mouth at my service… and I want both things at the same time, Sassenach.” He ran his hands up under my hair and gripped my face between them, hard. “I dinna understand myself at all, Sassenach! Or maybe I do.”  DRAGONFLY IN AMBER Chapter 17

 POSSESSIVE JAMIE

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 “All right,” he whispered. His eyes bored into mine, daring me to close them, forcing me to hold his gaze. “All right. And ye wish it, I shall punish you.” He moved his hips against me in imperious command, and I felt my legs open for him, my gates thrown wide to welcome ravishment.
“Never,” he whispered to me. “Never. Never another but me! Look at me! Tell me! Look at me, Claire!” He moved in me, strongly, and I moaned and would have turned my head, but he held my face between his hands, forcing me to meet his eyes, to see his wide, sweet mouth, twisted in pain.
“Never,” he said, more softly. “For you are mine. My wife, my heart, my soul.”

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Sometimes jealousy is okay and sexy.  Who wouldn’t want to be this man’s wife, heart, and soul?

GENTLE JAMIE

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I’ve often told my husband those moments when he is gentle are extremely meaningful to me.  When he looks tenderly into my eyes and touches my face gently with his big hands, I feel cherished.  Jamie has so many of those moments when his gentleness lets Claire know she is cherished. This scene when she wakes and finds he is watching her sleep and murmuring his love to her makes me tearful everytime.

“What is it, love?” I whispered. “Jamie, I do love you.”
“I know it,” he said quietly. “I do know it, my own. Let me tell ye in your sleep how much I love you. For there’s no so much I can be saying to ye while ye wake, but the same poor words, again and again. While ye sleep in my arms, I can say things to ye that would be daft and silly waking, and your dreams will know the truth of them. Go back to sleep, mo duinne.”
I turned my head, enough that my lips brushed the base of his throat, where his pulse beat slow beneath the small three-cornered scar. Then I laid my head upon his chest and gave my dreams up to his keeping.                                                                    OUTLANDER CHAPT 45

JAMIE A LOVE FOR ALL TIME

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Every woman wants to find a mutually passionate relationship.  She hopes to find someone she feels free to love with all her heart . Jamie’s ability to express his love for Claire is nothing short of poetic.

“I was dead, my Sassenach–and yet all that time, I loved you.”

I closed my eyes, feeling the tickle of the grass on my lips, light as the touch of sun and air.

“I loved you, too,” I whispered. “I always will.”

The grass fell away. Eyes still closed, I felt him lean toward me, and his mouth on mine, warm as sun, light as air.

“So long as my body lives, and yours–we are one flesh,” he whispered. His fingers touched me, hair and chin and neck and breast, and I breathed his breath and felt him solid under my hand. Then I lay with my head on his shoulder, the strength of him supporting me, the words deep and soft in his chest.

“And when my body shall cease, my soul will still be yours. Claire–I swear by my hope of heaven, I will not be parted from you.”

 DRUMS OF AUTUMN, chapter 16

Jamie has raised talking in bed to an art form and we readers find ourselves appreciating his talent…a lot. I know that Jamie is a fictional man and perhaps ideal, but I can’t help but believe that real men could learn a thing or two about talking in bed from him.   Diana has created a man who makes us love pillow talk and him.

What Ron D. Moore taught me about fandom

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This week has been an interesting one in the Outlander fandom.  There has been much ado about the show and its adaptation of Diana Gabaldon’s books and characters.  The conversations about this topic have been, at times, heated and definitely filled with passion.  I saw several folks try to help people put it all in perspective by creating memes and posting quotes to remind us all there truly are things happening in the world to get heated and passionate about. But, the debate continued and continues.

Other than sports, (Go Buckeyes), this is my first real experience with fandom and it has been a curious journey. The degree to which I have become involved surprises me and drives my family crazy There has been more than one argument with my spouse over the amount of time I spend on social media fanning.  I’m not the only one who is surprised by their involvement.  Just yesterday, I saw at least three Facebook posts where women were telling the story of their obsession with Outlander.  They were all professing to be sane people who suddenly saw themselves acting like, as they put it, “teenage fangurls”. I think they were all looking for validation that this was normal behavior and that they weren’t completely looney tunes. Let me point out asking other people in the fandom in an online fan group might not get you the most objective response! And as time goes on, this phenomenon I find myself involved in gets curiouser and curiouser.

Last night, Terry Dresbach, Outlander costume designer and wife to Outlander Executive Producer Ronald D Moore, posted a travelogue Ron had shared with her.  He is currently on a cruise ship decompressing.  Terry has often said that she is constantly learning from Ron and that he is a student of human nature.  I have heard her say that Ron has always told her that fans, even the angry ones, are coming from a place of love.  I heard what she was saying and we discussed it, but per usual, it took something more to deepen my understanding.  This time it was Ron’s travelogue.  He recounted his reading of an old fanzine created by Star Trek fans.  I loved the way he described the fragileness of the pages typed on an antiquated typewriter and yellowed with age.  He felt like he was handling a precious papyrus.  He was moved by the art created with different levels of skill, but not with less love.  To me, his time spent with that fan-made magazine was reaffirming that what he did for a living mattered.   He remembered himself as a fan and how he felt.  He realized he had a lot in common with those folks who felt the need to create because of their fascination with a TV series.  I realized I was one of those people too and it made me smile.

 

 

Photo credit to @thenewredplaid and Alex Oliver

 

The Greeks and Outlander

Of all the connections I could have made to what Ron said and my experience with Outlander fandom, I thought about the Greeks.  I thought of Greek theater to be specific.  Over the years, I have taught high school students about the beginnings of theater which in actuality is the beginning of modern TV.  My students read the story of Oedipus Rex.  They always seem to be amazed to find themselves engaged in a story written so long ago.  In fact, in an effort to have them truly understand how long ago this was written we do a little math problem in English class. I have them figure out how many great-greats they would have to put in front of Sophocles name if he was their great grandfather.  If I remember correctly, it would be somewhere in the vicinity of 149.  The story really is interesting and I find I am able to challenge my students to think about such heady themes as fate and the irony of life.

Part of preparing them to read includes discussing the purpose of play festivals and how they were performed.  If you were an ancient Greek you would have filed into the amphitheater found a stone seat and waited to see several versions of the same story.  My students are always surprised to learn that everybody watching already knew the story.  They were watching to see who told it the best.  It would be like us all going to watch six versions of Little Red Riding Hood. The source material was being presented to the audience by different “executive producers” if you will.  Can you see where I’m going with this?  As fans of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander book series, we already know the story, but here we sit in our home amphitheaters with much comfier seats, waiting to see how Ron D. “Sophocles” Moore tells the story. I’m pretty sure our discussions about his adaptation sound much like the discussions the Greeks had about the adaptations they witnessed, minus the togas.  Did he get the characters right?  Did he retain the most important elements for plot?  What themes could we detect and did they ring true?  Was the dialogue believable and what about the acting?  I’m sure their conversations about Oedipus the King were just as lively and as passionate as our Outlander discussions and just like Trekkies,… coming from a place of love.

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So, today I find myself feeling some love for Ron D. Moore and his desire to tell the story of Jamie and Claire.  This Saturday I’ll tune in and watch to see how he tells my favorite story and then watch the fans’ reactions with new eyes.  Some fans will be inspired to discuss on Tumblr, create memes and artwork, and I…I’ll write a fan’s blog.

Here’s the link to Terry’s blog post http://www.terrydresbach.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Cruise-Journal-Day-8-2.pdf

Selling Outlander to the masses…Or Selling Out?

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untitledYesterday, it was revealed that Outlander was the new cover story for Entertainment Weekly.  Good News! Or, at least it should have been.  I found myself very conflicted.  My first reaction to the picture of Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe’s steamy portrayal of Jamie and Claire was positive.  They are very beautiful people and it is a very striking image.   This was a cover of a national magazine and people who knew nothing about the books or the show would be seeing OUTLANDER! in the headline and then see that image…I began to feel uneasy.

I just happened to be getting ready for a meeting at work when the image popped up in my feed. With my sense of unease starting to work its way into a full blown feeling, I turned my Ipad screen toward a coworker who knew nothing about the show. “What do you think this TV show is about? ” I quizzed. It took her less than a second to answer.  Hearing the word “sex” a crowd gathered.  They all nodded their heads in agreement.  No one, I repeat NO ONE asked what show it was or expressed any interest beyond looking at the picture.

I, however, made the mistake of looking beyond the picture.  I looked at the head lines of the article. “Our favorite Kilty pleasure is back!”  sigh…cheesy…”all the Time-Traveling, Bodice-Ripping scoop on the Season”...grrrr…again….by Lynette Rice…a woman…sigh… “What’s Next for Claire and Jamie Hint: He’s wearing pants 😦 … JHRC!!!!!! …sigh…AGAIN with bodice-ripping and kilts.

I took to Twitter to express my dismay.

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I expected dissenting opinions.

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But….

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but…others don’t and they certainly aren’t going to know much about the story from this cover.  I tried to put a positive spin on the situation, as I am wont to do from time to time.

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and….

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still…, an uneasy feeling persisted.  I tried to sort through my thoughts and feelings.  Was it about the sexy pics? Well, sort of.  Let me try and explain.  I LOVE the sex in the show and books.  The idea that a married couple can be passionate and sexy and committed to each other? What’s not to like? And, the chemistry between those two actors is a joy to behold.  But, here is the problem.  The tease for the article entitled “Inside the wild, sexy world of Outlander” insinuates that sex is REALLY the ONLY thing the fans really care about.

So what makes the drama, which attracted more than five million multiplatform viewers per episode, such a kilty pleasure for fans? While the network and Moore would like to tout the show’s heady and historically accurate content, most fans point to the fantastic chemistry between Heughan and Balfe.

Most fans? Was there a poll I missed? I suspect that they went on social media and took their cues from the vocal minority that shout for more sex and romance between the two main characters and less about …well…pretty much anything else.  I believe that there is an ocean of fans who aren’t as vocal, but who do want more.  In fact, it’s the real reason they love the books and the series because it IS more.

I found it ironic that I posted my dismay on Twitter right after I had retweeted congratulations to Outlander for its Women’s Image Network WIN award wins and nominations for film and television.  The nonprofit organization celebrates, “media and deserving individuals who promote gender parity to advance the value of women and girls.”   Outlander was being recognized for its portrayal of women and its promotion of women as writers and directors.  Think about that incongruence.  So, I’m left with trying to figure out what the heck is going on.

WHAT I SUSPECT

  1. Based on the quote from the cover teaser, I’m going to give STARZ the benefit of a doubt…again and believe that this isn’t the promotion they were looking for.  However, they are promoting the fact that the show made the cover.  And, I’m curious, what is their plan? This doesn’t appear to be the kind of attention that will get the show taken seriously.  Are their numbers so bad that they need an immediate fix instead of cultivating an audience that wants to see something more meaningful than other people’s junk?
  2. The magazine wants to sell magazines and sex sells
  3. There is something more insidious and more disturbing going on here.

If you were around back when the series was first filmed and then reviewed, you might remember the frustration fans experienced reading write-ups on the series by critics and entertainment journalists. It was truly a lesson on what the industry thought of a show they knew was being marketed to women. It was insulting to say the least. They questioned the show’s worth if men couldn’t be convinced to watch it (by the way they are, but that is beside the point).  They stubbornly hung on to the idea that Outlander was a Harlequinesque bodiceripper that would only appeal to middle-age bored housewives. Here we are after a very successful first season that garnered critical praise and multiple awards including three Golden Globes nominations and we are still fighting the bodice-ripper image …why?

 

Romance authors lament the lack of seriousness given their chosen genre.  I have nothing against Romances like all literary genre there are poor examples and good.  I have enjoyed reading quite a few over the years.  But, Outlander does not fit neatly into that genre.  There is certainly a relationship at the core of the story, but unlike a Romance novel, Jamie and Claire’s love story doesn’t stay in the falling in love honeymoon phase. Thank The Lord.  As some of us were discussing on Twitter, if they had, the stories would have held our interest for no longer than the time it took to read them.  Instead, many of us re-read  Diana Gabaldon’s books over and over and never seem to tire of what is revealed between those pages.  Herself writes about what happens after people fall in love. She writes about the dynamics of enduring love, complicated relationships and the irony of life. This is what truly engages her readers. She gets deeper and that is what fans hope to see on the screen as well.  Despite their differences, today I am struck by a similarity between  Romance novels and Outlander.  They both have an image problem because they are being marketed to women. Unfairly, that means they are deemed to be less worthy as a genre and  film.

Previously, I’ve written about Hollywood’s issue with women and how it runs deeper than just parity in job opportunities and pay.  It is how women are portrayed and …marketed to.  Women and their value are held in low esteem.  My guess is that the coverage of Outlander by EW is systemic of Hollywood’s continued issue with women.  They know the show’s extremely large fan base is predominately women.  So, what could women possibly be interested in?  The “the show’s heady and historically accurate content” or the two main characters getting naked? I think we know which way EW answered that question.  Did they watch Outlander fans’ support for the show and its stars and salivate at a chance to get a piece of that popularity pie and the money that goes with it?  What they failed to understand is the love and loyalty for this show is based on a dream, a  dream that a wonderful book would be shared in a visual format and the world would get to see Jamie and Claire’s story of adventure and survival and …enduring and committed love.  Yesterday, many fans expressed the idea that if this attention gets us more seasons of Outlander then so be it.  We all know that sex sells.  It’s nothing new.  On the surface this seems reasonable, but I’m getting that uneasy feeling again. I fear that this attention can put the show on a slippery slope that may lead to pressure to actually turn the show into what they think folks want.

Jamie and Claire have a very vibrant sex life and I’m enjoying the hell out of watching it!   Quite frankly, I was relieved when I found out Starz was producing the show because I knew we would have a chance to see some of the best love scenes ever written (IMHO) come to life.  The Wedding Episode was glorious.  But, sex really isn’t what the show is about!  It is a wonderful part of the show, but it isn’t the only thing worth watching the show for, but I’m afraid that is the impression this cover and tease are leaving.  The magazine comes out Friday, so I guess we’ll see what they actually said, but I’m not very hopeful they moved away from the “chemistry” angle.  I realize this is just one magazine and there will be more opportunities to sell Outlander to the masses,  but I really hope this doesn’t become a trend. They will probably sell a lot of issues, some because of the titillating pictures, but I believe many will be sold because Outlander fans support Outlander and want it to succeed.

Here is the most ironic thing of all.  I believe Outlander fans would have bought the magazines if they had decided to put a picture of Culloden Moor on the cover.  But, I guess we’ll never know because they chose to market it to “women”.

 

P.S. Well, the article wasn’t too bad! It was certainly better than expected given the cover headlines.  Just wanted to thank everyone for their respectful discourse.  You certainly don’t have to agree with me, but I appreciate your respectfulness!

40 years….a play and a look later…us

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This January 17th brings a milestone into my life.  I will be married to my Dan for forty years.  I keep trying to write our story. There is a story there that needs to be told, but I go away from it and I come back to it.  I try to write other things, but I find my own story keeps getting in the way.  I have a feeling that until I find a way to tell our story, I won’t be able to tell another.  I haven’t figured it out yet, but I’ve promised my Dan I will.

“I’m not sure what our story is about. What is our story?” I asked.

” That’s easy.  It’s the story of two kids from the wrong side of the tracks who make it…in life.” he responds and I hear the surprise in his voice at his own hesitation.

“See,’ I said, ‘Not as easy as it sounds. Do I tell it like fiction and make us characters or tell it like a memoir…I keep trying, but I haven’t figured it out yet.”

But, I will…I will because it’s a great story about perseverance, faith, and a love that grows!

I find it ironic that over 40 years ago my interests were acting and productions and now my interests are acting and productions.  A lot has happened between our high school production of The Man Who Came to Dinner and my writing about Outlander, some good, some bad, but such is life.  I met my husband when, as a student director, I cast him  in our school play.  I would tease him for years about how I type cast him as the “dumb jock” and about his one big line “What’s the matter mother?” which he delivered with a modicum of feeling.

I’d also cast the homecoming queen to play the movie star. Did I tell you I tended to type cast?  Well, things were going swimmingly and I was especially excited about the pharaoh I’d just finished painting on the front of a sarcophagus the shop class built for us, when we got some bad news.  It was one week before opening night and the homecoming queen had dropped out of the play!  Resisting the urge to hit who ever had just uttered, “The show must go on’, I ran through my list of possible solutions. I really couldn’t see an option other than having someone onstage with a script read the part. “You know what you have to do.”, my best friend and stage director said, “You know everyone’s lines.  You have to play the movie star.  We can find you a couple of prom dresses somewhere.”

I’m sure that my mouth was hanging open and just about the time I had the presence of mind to snap it shut and then retort with a “oh hell no”, I realized she was right.  I was going to have to play the part of the movie star.  Let me explain, I was a director for a reason, the old ” those that can’t… teach” thing comes to mind. I loved the creativity of producing a play and I had a knack for directing other’s performances, but I tended to get a bit stage-struck when I had to perform.  I would play bit parts when needed, but avoided anything where I had to speak more than a few lines. This role was not a bit part and the character was supposed to be …a movie star.  Did I mentioned I liked to type cast? Yeah,..well….so not going to happen this time. There was going to have to be a major transformation.

I remember dress rehearsal like it was yesterday. Everyone was waiting in the wings while the costume and makeup crew were adding their last touches to my ensemble.  They weren’t allowing me to see myself until they were done. Excited to have found a royal blue sequined halter gown and some silver strappy sandals in my size, they placed some costume diamonds around my neck and decided that my hair needed to be pulled up. It seemed to me they had been arguing forever about how many pins they needed to keep the french twist in place.  After they placed a dozen or so in my hair, they turned me around to face the mirror propped against the back wall of the stage.  I don’t know if you have ever had a Cinderella moment, but I’m pretty sure this one qualified. I didn’t recognize myself.  I have since learned, for an actress, that might not be a bad thing.  There was a girl who looked like a movie star in the mirror and I found myself suddenly standing different and felt a surge of confidence. Maybe, I could do this!  My confidence increased as I took the corner into the wings and my fellow actors saw me. I’m not exactly sure how to explain what happened next except to say that within the space of few seconds, I saw looks of surprise, admiration, lasciviousness, and finally, a look of concern that has changed my life forever.

It was as if everyone had just seen me for the first time.  I had gone from wall flower to rose in the time it took to don a form-fitting gown. Suddenly, every guy in the room wanted to stand next to me. I was flattered, but it just didn’t feel right.  Yesterday, these guys didn’t know I existed! Uncomfortable with all this attention, I was frantically looking for something to focus on that didn’t look like a teenage boy leering down the front of my dress.  Standing across from me was my type cast jock with a look of concern on his face.  Our eyes locked and I saw him, really saw …him. I didn’t see the super jock, but the Sir Galahad underneath.  I found myself walking across the wings to stand next to this boy who I knew I could trust.  We haven’t been apart since.

There is a lot more to our story and I will find a way to write it, but today I find myself thinking of that shared moment when we saw each other and of all the other moments that moment made possible.. I am proud to be the wife of such a deep down decent man. Forty years have come and gone, but everyday I feel like I learn something new about him. Forty years later, he is still my Sir Galahad.

 

 

 

A new Year, a New Enterprise…celebrating Outlander fans

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You probably already know this, but there are a lot of interesting and talented folks out there in the Outlander fandom!  I was discussing this with some friends and we decided it would be great if the blog could feature some of those very same folks!  So, in the spirit of the New Year and resolutions, we decided the first featured fan would be our favorite “Sparkle Girl”  Alisa Hinton!

A VERY VEGGIE MY PEAK CHALLENGE

January is here and it came in with a bang!  Happy New Year all! A new year brings new opportunities and so, now we ask ourselves, what to do, what to do?

I decided to start January off by going vegetarian for a month. I knew I couldn’t go vegan or gluten free.  I am not an all or nothing person. In fact, I am quite the opposite, but I figured you can do anything for a month right? And you know what? So far so good!  I am also very lucky that I do not have to have a restricted diet for health reasons.  I am doing it to challenge myself and adapt a healthier way of life.

Last week, PBS aired a special called In Defense of Food.   It’s based on a fabulous book written by Michael Pollen. I read this book back in 2008 and it changed the way I view food and buy it.  Lots of great information ranging from how our foods are processed, to how our chickens are raised and the conditions in which they and other livestock live.  What I learned was truly appalling and I swore I would never buy Tyson, Purdue or anything Smithfield again… and I haven’t.  The book also made me aware of  ingredient lists and added vitamins and nutrients that should not be added to our foods.  For example, pasta should say 100% Durum Wheat, not enriched Wheat pasta with Riboflavin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin and Ferrous Sulfate.  These are all additives that with a healthy diet we don’t need. I also started making my own breads and stayed away from anything with soybean oil, and contacted local organic farms in my area that have free range beef, eggs and poultry.  I would suggest watching In Defense of Food on Netflix if you have the chance, along with Food , Inc. and Ted Talk’s with Jamie Oliver, who has been battling the war on sugar.

Tuesday the 5th  MyPeakChallenge is launching it’s 2016 challenge!

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We are all excited to see what other participants’ challenges will be and what MPC has in store for us. Our bodies and minds will adapt to new exercises, diets and more importantly a healthier way of life. I always find it so inspiring and motivating when you have others that you can participate with and  share stories.  So far, MPC has done an amazing job of tweeting and retweeting people’s goals, recipes, and words of encouragement.  I thought long and hard about what my challenge would be and my girlfriends and I have decided to go hiking in Asheville, NC. One of the trails we will hike will be a total of 13 miles of steep terrain with picturesque views.

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My girlfriend Michelle who has been training with me for years, and who is also deathly afraid of heights, started hyperventilating as I was telling her what I would like for us to do!  Of course she is on board and I promised her I would bring a flask of whisky for the climb, lol!  Whisky makes everything good! But, joking aside,  I know she will be fine and will face her fear of heights!   That’s the great part about MPC! The challenge can be anything you want it to be! Everyone is different, we all have different levels of fitness. You don’t have to run a marathon, or climb 13 miles.   And, how nice is it to know that you are not alone and that their are other’s starting from a level of fitness that you are starting from!

And, those of you that follow me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook know that I absolutely love to cook.  alisa1203, @hintonalisa , Try it Before You buy It Girls So, I have included a few of my vegetarian recipes for you to make at home. Hmmm, maybe I should add a few cooking classes to the challenge too! That’s definitely something I have always wanted to do.  In the meantime, enjoy….

Sweet Potato Cakes with Cilantro Lime Guacamole

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3 large sweet potatoes grated

1 small onion grated

¼ C Chopped Cilantro

2 TBSP Cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp salt

1 egg

¾ flour ( you can substitute with rice flour or matza meal)

Olive oil for frying

 

Cilantro Lime Guacamole

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½ C fresh chopped cilantro

3 tbsp Lime juice

1 Avocado mashed

1 tsp sour cream

 

 

Black Bean and Garbanzo Salad

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1 Can Organic Garbanzo Beans

1 Can Organic Black Beans

½ Red Onion Chopped

½ C Fresh Chopped Parsley

½ Chopped Green Olives

¼ C olive oil

1 lemon squeezed

Salt to taste

 

Avocado Hummus

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1 Avocado

½ C Chopped Fresh Cilantro

salt to taste

½ tsp crushed garlic

1 tsp lime juice

1 can garbanzo beans

Mix together in a blender, nutri bullet or food processor and serve with pita chips or veggies

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

I woke up one day and decided to make a change. I ran my first 5K back in 2000 when my Mom was first diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Maybe that was the turning point for me? Seeing someone so healthy diagnosed with cancer scared me. I wanted to help the cause, and join the fight. I remember running my first mile and being elated.  That one mile inspired me to run more and do more. By the age of 26 I had joined the Master’s Swim class at the YMCA, and swam along side Olympic trial athletes. It was so hard to keep up, but I knew practice would make perfect so I stuck with it and eventually entered myself into a Sprint Triathlon. From there I decided to enter and compete in a Half Iron-man. The swimming portion was a breeze and from there I competed in other open water swims, other triathlons, and runs. Eventually, I became a personal trainer, opened a company called WeTRIsports and trained and educated many people in the Wake Forest/Raleigh area to swim, run marathons and cycle.  It is such a wonderful feeling to see someone who may be scared to put their face in the water complete a triathlon, or not be the last person getting out of the pool. When you spend months with someone you get to know them on another level, you get to know what motivates them and what their goals and aspirations are. I feel very privileged to have made such wonderful relationships and friendships over the years. My passion is helping others….I now realize that. 

Someday in a Galaxy far far away women will be allowed to just …be

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Something I wrote on my other site. Non-Outlander, but I’d love to have you read it!

My Writing Place is by a Lake

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I started to write an article about Star Wars the Force Awakens and the positive portrayal of women I witnessed in the film.  I started to write about a woman, Rey, who was allowed to just be herself.  She didn’t have to act like a man or be the object of one.  She was allowed to “run on her own”.  I started to write about seeing women working along side men and even leading men.  I started to.  Sadly, I am not anymore because sexism has reared its ugly head once again and I can’t ignore it.

I’m sure you are aware that actors from the old Star Wars film reprised their characters’ roles.  Watching the film felt like attending a class reunion where you really wanted to see people again!  I was thrilled to see that Hans, Leia, and Luke looked like real people who grow up and age…

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France needs Outlander!

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Here we go again, fighting to get Outlander shown in a country featured in the show!  Season two of Outlander on Starz will take a look at life in Paris in the mid 1700’s.  It will be a visual feast and we want our French friends to be able to join us at the table!   I’m not sure exactly what it takes to convince TV outlets to add a show to their list of programing, but I’m pretty sure Outlander has a little bit of something for everybody!

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A BRIEF HISTORY LESSON FOR THE UNINITIATED

The news that Outlander was being made into a sixteen episode TV series for Starz was very welcome news to fans of Diana Gabaldon.  Ms.Gabaldon’s eight book series based on the adventures of one time travelling WW II nurse, Claire Randall, has been read and reread for over twenty years. The rights to turn the first book into a movie have been sold for just about as long and many script writers have attempted to cram an 800 page book into a two hour movie. Not possible…or desired by most fans.  So, when the news of the series came, coupled with the knowledge that producer Ron Moore, of Battlestar Galactica fame, would be at the helm, fans rejoiced! (and it’s rumored that angels wept!) Finally, maybe the story would be told and fans would get to see their beloved main characters, Jamie and Claire, come to life! And, joy of joys, they are almost done with the second book! Please let our French fans watch too!

Critics and entertainment journalists were doubtful that this book to TV adaptation would flourish due to what was perceived as a female-centric audience. The media seemed to believe that the show would only appeal to bored middle-age housewives and was a bodice-ripping romance.  Now that the series has aired 16 episodes the ranks of media/critics seem to have changed their minds and are now singing the praises of Outlander.  Fans of the books are thrilled that the show is being so well received and maybe they are feeling a bit smug.  After all, they’ve always known it was a great story! And really, what’s not to like?

 

 

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WHAT ABOUT THE ROMANCE?

The tale has been labeled as “genre bending” and for a variety of good reasons.  Fans of the book can assure new viewers that the relationship at the center of this tale goes far beyond the  traditional romance genre where the story is about falling in love. For instance, the traditional romance is stood on its ear with a woman in the role of the experienced lover and her new husband the virgin. The time travel element adds an additional twist.  If you are two hundred years away from your husband who hasn’t been born yet is it cheating if you marry someone else? Claire loves two men and this creates an intriguing problem for her already full plate of problematic situations. Season 2 will give us a passionately committed couple and new issues and problems for Claire and Jamie to face. And, they don’t get any easier!  They’ll just be trying to change history.

And….the sex! oh la la!

Starz has done a wonderful job of portraying the sexual relationship between the two main characters.  In fact, there are multiple articles out there written by critics, the media and those interested in the portrayal of sex on T.V. that look at how Outlander Starz writers, directors and producers handled this material.  They found it nothing short of revolutionary.

THIS IS SCI-FI?

Yes, but …gosh …how do I explain this?  The sci-fi element of this story is there. but more as a vehicle to get the heroine of the story into the situation she now finds herself.  She lands 200 years in the past after touching a standing stone. The mystery of standing stones is just that a mystery.  We really don’t know what they are or why they are there.  The old Celtic stories of people being stolen over by the wee folk might actually be based on an interesting theory of time-travel.  What would you do if you were Claire? At the end of season one because of love of her highlander Jamie,  she has decided to stay, now, how does she deal with her knowledge of the future? The time-travel element is a great backdrop. It is always there….waiting.

IT’S A RIPPING GOOD YARN!

Fans of Outlander executive producer Ron Moore were at first puzzled and some downright shocked that he took on this material.  The series was being touted in the media as a “romance” and that seemed very far from Ron’s usual projects. Ron simply explained in a press conference that he had read the books and found them to be a “Ripping good yarn”.   This is a story full of adventure, history, surprises and characters with layers and we love Ron for recognizing that it needed to be told in a series. We also love him for talking with the author and staying true to the spirit of the books.  If you like battles, swordplay, chases, political intrigue (ESPECIALLY AT THE FRENCH COURT!), plot twists, hot sex, tender love stories, strong characters, and really nasty villans then you might want to give Outlander a shot!

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Come on France viva la Outlander!

All I want for Christmas is…Outlander

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So, Black Friday is looming and that means I need to start thinking about Christmas and what gifts I’ll be buying.  Cuz if I miss a deal on something I didn’t know I needed I’d be pretty upset!  So, I’m making a list and checking it…twice and then discussing it with my husband.  The following is a transcript of what I like to call the Great  Christmas fight.

ME:  I’m getting some great coupons in my inbox.

DH: It’s ridiculous. It gets worse every year!  We are just not going to buy anyone anything! Christmas isn’t about presents!  We buy them something they don’t need and they buy us something we don’t need!  Ridiculous!

ME: We have this conversation every year.  I LIKE giving gifts.  You suck the joy out of Christmas you…you…joy sucker!

DH: We aren’t doing it.

ME: You say that every year too and yet Christmas comes and there are presents under the tree.  Why do you bother to get worked up?

DH: mumble….mumble…commercialism…humbug…mumble

EVERY. YEAR.

The only thing worse than the unneeded pressure my husband inflicts on the season is answering the dreaded “what do you want for Christmas” question.  I NEVER have an answer.  So, this year I was determined to be prepared!

DIL: What do you want for Xmas?

ME: A new Shark floor cleaner because my old one broke and a good saute’ pan!

DIL:  That is so boring.  What do want that is fun!?

ME: Sigh (so much for being prepared)…Let me think about it…

I’m terrible at this!  I don’t shop except for this time of year.  I can find things I like if I’m out there, but unless I see something…I can’t think of anything I need or want.  Luckily for me, middle granddaughter was over to the house and heard me sighing and made a suggestion with potential.

GD:  Isn’t there any Outlander stuff you want?

ME: (lighting up like the proverbial tree) Outlander? Yeah….Outlander… (now I’m rubbing my hands together like the Grinch) I LIKE Outlander!

So, I’m putting together an all Outlander all the time Christmas list.

MY OUTLANDER CHRISTMAS LIST

  • A trip to Scotland with a tour of the Outlander studios (hey, go big or go home)

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  • signed first editions of all of the Outlander books

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  • a script signed by oh….everybody 🙂

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  • Tickets to the next premier (whenever that is)

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  • the official Caitriot plaid

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  • an Outlander Wedding ring, this one that combines the series and the books!

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  • A print by Frogirl@thenewredplaid or Elaine or…(there is a lot of really great stuff out there!)

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  • These cuz Pop.Lander is a whimsical genius who made me want to play with dolls

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  • And more hedgehogs cuz…well, just cuz one can never have too many  😉

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Given that my children are not independently wealthy, I’m guessing I might have a fair shot at the last three and if #Outlander Starz would like to kick in a casting announcement that would just be the topper on my plaid themed Christmas!

Happy Holidays Outlander fanmily!

PS I thought of one more thing! At shirt designed by Terry that says “I spit on cute!” She knows why 😜!