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QOTD for Monday, July 8, 2024 -- kgp, Mon, July 08 2024, 5:08:23
The following quotation is from Voyager by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 1994 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 27 Up in Flames

Young Ian, though, was the focus of attention, as multiple heads came popping out of the drawing room in response to the noise Bruno was making. With his singed hair, swollen red face, beaky nose, and lashless, blinking eyes, he strongly resembled the fledgling young of some exotic bird species - a newly hatched flamingo, perhaps. His face could scarcely grow redder, but the back of his neck flamed crimson, as the sound of feminine giggles followed us up the stairs.

Safely ensconced in the small upstairs sitting room, with the door closed, Ian turned to his hapless offspring.

“Going to live, are ye, ye wee bigger?” he demanded.

“Aye, sir,” Young Ian replied in a dismal croak, looking rather as though he wished the answer were “No.”

“Good,” his father said grimly. “D’ye want to explain yourself, or shall I just belt the hell out of ye now and save us both time?”

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Replies:
- I think this is where I decided that I loved Young Ian! (NT) -- DianaH, Mon, July 08 2024, 11:51:39
  - I’m not sure where it happened, but I agree with you about loving Ian, Diana! (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Mon, July 08 2024, 18:08:39
    - The print shop in Edinburgh burned down and Ian thought he'd killed a man. (NT) -- kgp, Mon, July 08 2024, 18:54:06
      - I did remember that, but not when I started to love Ian. Lol. But I did think Monday’s quote was about Brianna at first, until I read Tuesday’s - and realized - maybe a week of Ian! Yay 😊 (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, July 09 2024, 2:11:36
        
        Yes - our first glimpse of Young Ian at birth (NT) -- kgp, Tue, July 09 2024, 6:47:13
QOTD for July 6, 2024 - Sunday -- kgp, Sun, July 07 2024, 12:31:35
The following quotation is from Voyager by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 1994 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 5 To Us a Child Is Given

“D’ye want to see him?”

“Oh, a him, is it?” With hands experienced by years of unclehood, he lifted the tiny package and cuddled it against himself, pushing back the flap of blanket that shaded its face.

Its eyes were closed tight, the lashes not visible in the deep crease of the eyelids. The eyelids themselves lay at a sharp angle above the smooth rounds of the cheeks, giving promise that it might - in this one recognizable feature - resemble its mother.

The head was oddly lumpy, with a lopsided appearance that made Jamie think uncomfortably of a kicked-in melon, but the small fat mouth was relaxed and peaceful, the moist pink underlip quivering faintly with the snore attendant on the exhaustion of being born.

“Hard work, was it?”

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QOTD -- Janet, Sat, June 22 2024, 3:00:32
Well, this week started off to be ghostly, like the first two quotes, but as I wandered through Drums, it became first meetings, with foreshadowing of things to come. I guess that's kind of ghostly.....I know re-meting Sgt. Murchison certainly invoked ghosts....Hope you enjoyed the week.

Quote of the Day for Saturday, June 22, 2024

The following quote is from Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon, Chapter20, The White Raven. Copyright 1997, all rights reserved.

The elder lady was Nawayenne, not Grabrielle’s grandmother as I had thought, but rather Nacognaweto’s. This lady was light-boned, thin, and bent with rheumatism, but bright eyed as the sparrow she so strongly resembled. She wore a small leather bag tied round her neck, ornamented with a rough green stone pierced for stringing, and the spotted tail feathers of a woodpecker. She had a larger bag, this one of cloth, tied at her waist. She saw me looking at the green stains on the rough cloth, and smiled, showing two prominent yellow front teeth.

………Moved by curiosity, and an impulse I couldn’t describe, I asked Grabrielle about the old lady’s amulet, hoping this wasn’t an insufferable breech of good manners.

“Grandmere est…….” She hesitated, looking for the right French word, but I already knew.

“Pas docteur,” I said, “et pas sorciere, magicienne. Elle est…..” I hesitated too; there really wasn’t a suitable word for it in French, after all.

“We say she is a singer,” Berthe put in shyly in French. “We call it shaman; her name, it means ‘It may be; it will happen.’”

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Replies:
- This is a good one, Janet! I forgot about this exact conversation, and I love it. How Claire gets it immediately (like minds?) and then Berthe puts “it” into perfect words. I think of Claire and Nawayenne often these days as I enjoy my cronehood. She was right about the power coming - for me it’s just the sense of calmer confidence and acceptance of life. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sat, June 22 2024, 3:30:14
  - Kathy, you're right about cronehood! I used to put a rinse on my hair to cover the gray, until one day I realized I had earned these gray hairs! That mental shift started me accepting age changes and making the most of them. While I didn't enjoy hot flashes, I did enjoy the end of my "courses", and I'm learning to accept the hairs on my chin! I no longer feel the urgency to "get things done" that I had in my youth, either. (NT) -- Janet, Sat, June 22 2024, 10:50:25
QOTD -- Janet, Fri, June 21 2024, 10:17:45
The following quote is from Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon, Chapter13, An Examination of Conscience. Copyright 1997, all rights reserved.

Dim as it was in the taproom, I could see the man’s face go blank with shock. Jamie came to an abrupt halt behind me. He said something in Gaelic under his breath that I recognized as a vicious obscenity, but then he was moving forward past me, with no sign of hesitation in his manner.

“Sargent Murchison,” he said, in tone of mild surprise, as one might greet a casual acquaintance. “I had not thought to lay eyes on you again---not in this world, at least.”

The Sargent’s expression strongly suggested that the feeling was mutual. Also that any meeting this side of heaven was too soon. Blood flooded his beefy, pockmarked cheeks with red, and he shoved back his bench with a screech of wood on the sanded floor.

“You!” he said.

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Replies:
- This made my stomach clench - and instantly brought back Wentworth. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Fri, June 21 2024, 10:50:47
QOTD -- Janet, Thu, June 20 2024, 10:55:11
Quote of the Day for Thursday, June 20, 2024

The following quote is from Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon, Chapter 10, Jocasta. Copyright 1997, all rights reserved

I found her at once, among the people hurrying out of the house and down the walk. I would have know her for a MacKenzie, even if I hadn’t known who she was. She had the bold bones, the broad Viking cheekbones, and high, smooth brow of her brothers, Colum and Dougal. And like her nephew, like her great-niece, she had the extraordinary height that marked them all as descendants of the same blood.

A head higher than the bevy of black servants who surrounded her, she floated down the path from the house, hand on the arm of her butler, though a woman less in need of support, I had never seen.

……Suddenly, the truth dawned on me: her hand on the butler’s arm, her touching Jamie’s face in greeting, the glass put ready for her grasp, and the shadow on her face when Ian talked about her painting. Jocasta Cameron was blind.

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Replies:
- Nice to meet you, Jocasta! Like all the MacKenzie's, there's a lot hidden beneath surface impressions. (NT) -- kgp, Thu, June 20 2024, 18:22:03
- Blind or not, we find Jocasta to be a force, not a helpless woman. She's as sly as any Mackenzie. (NT) -- DianaH, Fri, June 21 2024, 9:32:59
QOTD -- Janet, Wed, June 19 2024, 4:05:10
Quote of the Day for Wednesday, June 19, 2024

The following quote is from Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon, Chapter 6, I Encounter a Hernia. Copywrite 1997, all rights reserved.

“Claire Fraser,” I said, offering him a hand in fascination. He squinted at it a moment, brought my fingers to his nose and sniffed them, then looked up and broke into a wide smile, nonetheless charming for missing half his teeth.

“Why you’ll maybe be a yarb-woman, won’t you?”

“I will?”

He turned my hand gently over , tracing the chlorophyll stains around my cuticles.

“A green fingered lady might just be tending her roses, but a lady whose hands smell of sassafras root and Jesuit bark is like to know more than how to make flowers bloom. Don’t you reckon that’s so?” he asked, turning a friendly gaze on Ian, who was viewing Mr. Myers with unconcealed interest.

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Replies:
- I love John Qunicy Myers. He turns up with unexpected "gifts" like the message from Ian, or the "telling the bees." (NT) -- DianaH, Wed, June 19 2024, 7:05:03
  - I like him, too! The secondary characters really add color to the narrative and helps to ground the story in time and place. (NT) -- Janet, Wed, June 19 2024, 10:17:26
    - It’s almost hard to call them “secondary” because Diana makes them so interesting and integral to the story. I never thought of how she uses them to ground the story in times and places, but it’s so true. I love JQM too, and can’t stop laughing when I think of his hernia surgery. He certainly was an earthy man. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, June 20 2024, 2:12:08
QOTD -- Janet, Mon, June 17 2024, 4:06:56
Quote of the Day for Monday, June 17, 2024

Taken from Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon, Chapter 1, A Hanging in Eden. Copywrite 1997, All rights reserved

"Ah the pity of it." Duncan Innes was quite drunk by now. He sat slumped against the wall, his armless shoulder rising higher than the other, giving him a strange, humpbacked appearance. "That a dear man like Gavin should come to such an end!" He shook his head lugubriously, swing it back and forth over his alecup like the clapper of a funeral bell.

"No family left to mourn him, cast alone in a savage land---hanged as a felon, and to be buried in an unconsecrated grave. Not even a proper lament to be sung for him!" He picked up the cup, and with some difficulty, found his mouth with it. He drank deep and set it down with a muffled clang.

"Well, he shall have a caithris!" He glared belligerently from Jaimie to Fergus to Ian. "Why not?"

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Replies:
- I think Jocasta took the belligerence out of him. Poor Duncan. He became like a fancy puppet. Do you think he knew about Jocasta and Ulysses? (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Mon, June 17 2024, 9:35:43
  - He certainly didn't feel any remorse about himself and Phaedre. He and Jocasta didn't share a bed. (NT) -- kgp, Tue, June 18 2024, 7:52:00
    - I always wondered about the timeline. Did he go with Phaedra because he knew he was just a figurehead and/or because he knew Jocasta was sleeping with Ulysses? (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, June 18 2024, 12:21:49
QOTD -- Janet, Tue, June 18 2024, 3:54:12
The following quote is from Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon, Chapter 2, In Which We Meet a Ghost. Copywrite 1997, all rights reserved.

“Sacree Vierge!”

My head snapped up. Everyone was shouting, and the horses, startled, were neighing and jerking frantically against their hobbles, making the wagon hop and lurch like a drunken beetle.

“Wuff!” Rollo said next to me.

“Jesus!” said Ian, goggling at the wagon. “Jesus Christ!”

I swung in the direction he was looking and screamed. A pale fugure loomed out of the wagon bed, swaying with the wagon’s jerking. I had no time to see more before all hell broke loose

And so we meet Stephan Bonnet…….

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Replies:
- I love the comedy she inserts - it makes them even more real as characters. Thank you for doing QOTD! (NT) -- kgp, Tue, June 18 2024, 7:49:53
  - And the way she can make you feel like you're there. This whole graveyard scene is full of wonderful imagery. (NT) -- Janet, Tue, June 18 2024, 10:14:07
    - And includes animals with such personalities. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, June 18 2024, 12:19:40
QOTD -- Janet, Sun, June 16 2024, 9:39:58
If anyone wants to join me in quotes, please jump in. Otherwise, we'll romp through Drums of Autumn....

Quote of the Day for Sunday, June 16, 2024

Taken from Drums of Autumn, Prologue. Written by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved. Copywrite 1997

All the time the ghosts flit past and through us, hiding in the future. We look in the mirror and see shades of other faces looking back through the years; we see the shape of memory, standing solid in an empty doorway. By blood and by choice, we make our ghosts; we haunt ourselves.

( I wanted to include the whole Prologue about ghosts, but that would be WAY too long. This bit lets us know that we are all haunted.....)

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Replies:
- I love the prologues! (NT) -- CindyG, Sun, June 16 2024, 10:44:50
  - So do I! They usually make me teary and very emotional, especially the first time I read them. There’s so much anticipation as I turn the pages of a new Book. For the longest time Drums was my second favorite - I’ll enjoy your week of quotes, Janet. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sun, June 16 2024, 13:26:45
QOTD for Saturday, June 15, 2024 -- CindyG, Fri, June 14 2024, 19:44:56
The following quote is from The Outlandish Companion by Diana Gabaldon, “Prologue.” Copyright ©️ 1999, 2015 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“I was sitting in church the next day, thinking idly about this particular show (no, oddly enough, I don’t remember what the sermon was about that day), when I said suddenly to myself, Well, heck. You want to write a book, you need a historical period, and it doesn’t matter where or when. The important thing is just to start, somewhere. Okay. Fine. Scotland, eighteenth century.
So I went out to my car after Mass, dug a scrap of paper out from under the front seat, and that’s where I began to write Outlander; no outline, no plot, no characters—just a time and a place. . . .
I had not the slightest intention of telling my online acquaintances in the Literary Forum what I was up to. I didn’t want even the best-intentioned of advice; I wanted simply to figure out how to write a novel, and was convinced that I must do this on my own—I’d never asked anyone how to write a software review or a comic book script, after all, and I didn’t want anyone telling me things before I’d worked out for myself what I was doing.
So I didn’t say anything. To anybody. I just wrote, a bit every day, in between the other things I was doing, like changing diapers and writing grant proposals.”

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Replies:
- I keep busy - it’s hard for me to sit still - but I can’t imagine having Diana’s energy. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sat, June 15 2024, 12:12:01
QOTD for Friday, June 14, 2024 -- CindyG, Thu, June 13 2024, 18:44:33
The following quote is from The Outlandish Companion by Diana Gabaldon, “Prologue.” Copyright ©️ 1999, 2015 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“ Okay. Fine. Where to set this historical novel? I have no formal background in history; one time or place would do as well as another.
Enter another accident. I rarely watch TV, but at the time I was in the habit of viewing weekly PBS reruns of Doctor Who (a British science-fiction serial), because it gave me just enough time to do my nails. So, while pondering the setting for my hypothetical historical novel, I happened to see one very old episode of Doctor Who featuring a ‘companion’ of the Doctor’s—a young Scottish lad named Jamie MacCrimmon, whom the Doctor had picked up in 1745. This character wore a kilt, which I thought rather fetching, and demonstrated—in this particular episode—a form of pigheaded male gallantry that I’ve always found endearing: the strong urge on the part of a man to protect a woman, even though he may realize that she’s plainly capable of looking after herself.”

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Replies:
- Fetching and endearing - she sure made that happen!! I tried a couple times but never got into Dr. Who, but I’m glad Diana did ❤️ (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Fri, June 14 2024, 14:45:59
QOTD for Thursday, June 13, 2024 -- CindyG, Wed, June 12 2024, 19:00:47
The following quote is from The Outlandish Companion by Diana Gabaldon, “Prologue.” Copyright ©️ 1999, 2015 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“So…what kind of novel should this be? Well, I read everything, and lots of it, but perhaps more mysteries than anything else. Fine, I thought, I’d write a mystery. But then I began to think. Mysteries have plots. I wasn’t sure I knew how to do plots. Perhaps I should try something easier for my practice book, then write a mystery when I felt ready for a real book.
Fine. What was the easiest possible kind of book for me to write, for practice? (I didn’t see any point in making things difficult for myself.) After considerable thought, it seemed to me that perhaps a historical novel would be the easiest thing to try. I was a research professor, after all; I had a huge university library available, and I knew how to use it. I thought it seemed a little easier to look things up than to make them up—and if I turned out to have no imagination, I could steal things from the historical record.”

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Replies:
- On one hand she’s so methodical in her thinking and the other she’s such a free spirited creative author. She has both brain sides functioning well! (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, June 13 2024, 4:44:29
QOTD for Wednesday, June 12, 2024 -- CindyG, Tue, June 11 2024, 19:42:10
The following quote is from The Outlandish Companion by Diana Gabaldon, “Prologue.” Copyright ©️ 1999, 2015 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“This was a fascinating group of individuals who all liked books. That was the only common denominator; the group included people of every conceivable background and profession—among them, a few published writers, a good many aspiring writers, and a great many nonwriters who simply liked to discuss books and writing. Finding this congenial gathering to be the ideal social life for a busy person with small children—something like a twenty-four-hour electronic cocktail party—I promptly signed up with CompuServe, and began logging on to the Literary Forum several times a day, to read and exchange posted messages with the kindred spirits there.
At this point in my life, I had a full-time job with the university, I was writing part-time for the computer press, and I had three children, ages six, four, and two. I’m not sure quite why I thought this was the ideal time to begin writing my long-intended novel—mania induced by sleep deprivation, perhaps—but I did.
I didn’t intend to show this putative novel to anyone. It wasn’t for publication; it was for practice. I had come to the conclusion—based on experience—that the only real way of learning to write a novel was probably to write a novel. That’s how I learned to write scientific articles, comic books, and software reviews, after all. Why should a novel be different?”

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Replies:
- It’s SO different from a text book and that’s where her gift came out. Comic books need imagination too, but to be able to write these huge books that we wait for so eagerly, that’s a gift. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Wed, June 12 2024, 14:39:58
QOTD for Tuesday, June 11, 2024 -- CindyG, Mon, June 10 2024, 19:31:11
The following quote is from The Outlandish Companion by Diana Gabaldon, “Prologue.” Copyright ©️ 1999, 2015 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“I sent a query letter to the editors of Byte, InfoWorld, PC, and several other large computer magazines, enclosing both a recent copy of Science Software and a copy of a Walt Disney comic book I had written. The query said roughly, ‘As you can see from the enclosed, you’ll never find anyone better qualified to review scientific and technical software—and at the same time, capable of appealing to a wide popular audience.’
By good fortune, the microcomputer revolution had just bloomed, to the point where there actually was a fair amount of scientific and technical software on the market. And as one of perhaps a dozen ‘experts’ in the newly invented field of scientific computation (it’s really pretty easy to be an expert, when there are only twelve people in the world who do what you do), I got immediate assignments. It was in the course of one of these that a software vendor sent me a trial membership to CompuServe, for the purpose of mentioning a support forum that the vendor maintained for the software I was reviewing.
I spent half an hour checking out the software support forum, and then—finding myself with several hours of free connect time in hand—set out to see what else might be available in this fascinating new online world. This being the mid-1980s, there was not nearly so much online as there is today (there was no World Wide Web; only the subscription services, such as CompuServe, GEnie, and Prodigy. America Online didn’t even exist yet). Still, among the resources available then (on CompuServe) was a group called the Literary Forum.”

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Replies:
- “was a group called the literary forum”. Diana has referred to this group many times over the years; it seems like a fantastic group of like minded writers who truly support each other. Who knows what ideas might have come from Diana’s discovery. I love how she sold her idea by describing her very unique talents in writing. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, June 11 2024, 3:36:42
- DG has so many talents! (NT) -- DianaH, Tue, June 11 2024, 10:36:31
  - Somehow I missed all last week! And it was all about when I started to love Murtagh. Thank you Karen, Janet and Cindy for QOTD. ❤️ (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, June 11 2024, 17:13:40
QOTD for Monday, June 10, 2024 -- CindyG, Sun, June 09 2024, 20:45:30
The following quote is from The Outlandish Companion by Diana Gabaldon, “Prologue.” Copyright ©️ 1999, 2015 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“At the time when my desire to write novels resurfaced, though, I was working at Arizona State University, writing Fortran programs to analyze the contents of bird gizzards. . . .
At the conclusion of eighteen months of labor—which resulted in a gigantic eight-hundred-page coauthored monograph on the dietary habits of the birds of the Colorado River Valley—I said to myself, You know, there are probably only five other people in the entire world who care about bird gizzards. Still, if they knew about these programs I’ve written, it would save each one of those five people eighteen months of effort. That’s about seven and a half years of wasted work. Why is there no way for me to find those five people and share these programs with them?
The net result of this rhetorical question was a scholarly journal called Science Software, which I founded, edited, and wrote most of for several years. A secondary result was that when my husband quit his job to start his own business and we needed more money, I was in a position to seek freelance writing work with the computer press.”

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Replies:
- Always a good story of serendipity (NT) -- kgp, Mon, June 10 2024, 14:53:11
  - That’s a great word to use for Diana’s story. It is such a winding journey. Thanks for doing QOTD, Cindy. I love reading about Diana’s life. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Mon, June 10 2024, 17:15:00
QOTD for Sunday, June 9, 2024 -- CindyG, Sat, June 08 2024, 19:24:34
The following quote is from The Outlandish Companion by Diana Gabaldon, “Prologue.” Copyright ©️ 1999, 2015 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“Well, it was all an accident, is what it was. I wasn’t trying to be published; I wasn’t even going to show it to anyone. I just wanted to write a book—any kind of book.
Not actually any kind of book. Fiction. See, I’m a storyteller. I can’t take any particular credit for this—I was born that way. When my sister and I were very young and shared a bedroom, we stayed up far into the night, nearly every night, telling enormous, convoluted, continuing stories, with casts of thousands (like I said, I was born with this).
Still, even though I knew I was a storyteller from an early age, I didn’t know quite what to do about it. Writing fiction is not a clearly marked career path, after all. It’s not like law, where you do go to school for X years, pass an exam, and bing! you can charge people two hundred dollars an hour to listen to your expert opinions (my sister’s a lawyer). Writers mostly make it up as they go along, and there is no guarantee that if you do certain things, you will get published. Still less is there any guarantee that you’ll make a living at it.”

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QOTD for Saturday -- kgp, Sat, June 08 2024, 4:07:27
The following quotation is from Outlander by Diana Gabaldon Copyright 1991 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 3 The Man In The Woods

Not until we were picking our way cautiously down the far side of the hill did I gather breath and wit enough to ask where we were going. Receiving no answer from my companion, I repeated “Where are we going?” in a louder tone.

To my considerable surprise, he rounded on me, face contorted, and pushed me off the path. As I opened my mouth in protest, he clapped a hand over it and dragged me to the ground, rolling on top of me.

Not again! I thought, and was heaving desperately to and fro to free myself when I heard what he had heard. And suddenly lay still. Voices called back and forth, accompanied by trampling and splashing sounds. They were unmistakably English voices. I struggled violently to get my mouth free. I sank my teeth into his hand, and had time only to register the fact that he had been eating pickled herring with his fingers, before something crashed against the back of my skull, and everything went dark.

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Replies:
- A crude but effective way to get Claire hushed in a hurry....Love you quotes! (NT) -- Janet, Sat, June 08 2024, 11:25:23
QOTD for Friday -- kgp, Fri, June 07 2024, 6:18:21
The following quotation is from Outlander by Diana Gabaldon Copyright 1991 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 3 The Man In The Woods

There was a sudden whoosh from above, followed immediately by a blur before my eyes and a dull thud. Captain Randall was on the ground at my feet, under a heaving mass that looked like a bundle of old plaid rags. A brown, rocklike fist rose out of the mass and descended with considerable force, meeting decisively with some bony protuberance, by the sound of the resultant crack. The Captain’s struggling legs, shiny in tall brown boots, relaxed quite suddenly.

I found myself staring into a pair of sharp black eyes. The sinewy hand that had temporarily distracted the Captain’s unwelcome attentions was attached like a limpet to my forearm.

“And who the hell are you?” I said in astonishment.

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Replies:
- This first meeting with Murtagh and his description is why I couldn't reconcile the TV character with the book one in my mind. (NT) -- DianaH, Fri, June 07 2024, 7:55:27
  - Agreed. I was also annoyed that they kept the character on for more seasons. (NT) -- kgp, Fri, June 07 2024, 8:36:58
QOTD for Thursday -- kgp, Thu, June 06 2024, 8:13:42
The following quotation is from Outlander by Diana Gabaldon Copyright 1991 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 3 The Man In The Woods

“Not just at present, Chuckie. I’m asking myself,” he said, conversationally, “just why a whore abroad in her shift would be wearing her shoes? And quite fine ones, at that,” he added, glancing at my plain brown loafers.

“A what!” I exclaimed.

He ignored me completely. His gaze had returned to my face, and he suddenly stepped forward and gripped my chin in his hand. I grabbed his wrist and yanked.

“Let go of me!” He had fingers like steel. Disregarding my efforts to free myself, he turned my face from one side to the other, so the fading afternoon light shone on it.

“The skin of a lady, I’ll swear,” he murmured to himself. He leaned forward and sniffed. “And a French scent in your hair.”

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Replies:
- No matter how many times I've read this book or quotes from it, Outlander draws me right in! (NT) -- DianaH, Thu, June 06 2024, 10:33:57
QOTD for Wednesday -- kgp, Wed, June 05 2024, 7:07:32
The following quotation is from Outlander by Diana Gabaldon Copyright 1991 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 3 The Man In The Woods

Had he been a snake, I would have stepped on him. He stood so quietly among the saplings as almost to have been one of them, and I did not see him until a hand shot out and gripped me by the arm.

Its companion clapped over my mouth as I was dragged backward into the oak grove, thrashing wildly in panic. My captor, whoever he was, seemed not much taller than I, but rather noticeably strong in the forearms, I smelled a faint flowery scent, as of lavender water, and something more spicy, mingled with the sharper reek of male perspiration. As the leaves whipped back into place in the path of our passage, though, I noticed something familiar about the hand and forearm clasped about my waist.

I shook my head free of the restraint over my mouth.

“Frank!” I burst out. “What in heaven’s name are you playing at?”

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Replies:
- In rereading this part (for the umpteenth time) I'm struck by the choice of the word 'gripped' rather than 'grabbed'. If you grab something it's less certain than if your grip something. It's more deliberate, less spontaneous. Our man here wasn't playing. (NT) -- kgp, Wed, June 05 2024, 7:10:32
QOTD for Tuesday -- kgp, Tue, June 04 2024, 7:59:58
The following quotation is from Outlander by Diana Gabaldon Copyright 1991 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 2 Standing Stones.

It was in fact nearly eleven before I reached the stone circle. It was drizzling, and I was soaked through, not having thought to bring a mac. I made a cursory examination of the outside of the circle, but if there had ever been a fire there, someone had taken pains to remove its traces.

The plant was easier to find. It was right where I remembered it, near the foot of the tallest stone, I took several clippings of the vine and stowed them temporarily in my handkerchief, meaning to deal with them properly when I got back to Mrs. Baird’s tiny car, where I had left the heavy plant presses.

The tallest stone of the circle was cleft, with a vertical split dividing the two massive pieces. Oddly, the pieces had been drawn apart by some means. Though you could see that the facing surfaces matched, they were separated by a gap of two or three feet.

There was a deep humming noise coming from somewhere near at hand. I thought there might be a beehive lodged in some crevice of teh rock, and placed a hand on the stone in order to lean into the cleft.

The stone screamed.

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Replies:
- We forgive you. Love the quotes so far, this is how it all begins..... (NT) -- Janet, Tue, June 04 2024, 10:41:32
  - Thank you - bad case of CRS (Can't Remember S***) (NT) -- kgp, Tue, June 04 2024, 12:39:05
QOTD for Sunday - 50 lashes with wet noodle for me. I'll catch up. -- kgp, Tue, June 04 2024, 7:39:44
The following quotation is from Outlander by Diana Gabaldon Copyright 1991 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 2 Standing Stones.

It wasn’t until we were undressing for bed that I remembered to mention the miniature henge on Craigh na Dun to Frank. Hid fatigue vanished at once.

“Really? And you know where it is? How marvelous, Claire!” He beamed and began rattling through his suitcase.

“What are you looking for?”

“The alarm clock,” he replied, hauling it out.

“Whatever for?” I asked in astonishment.

“I want to be up in time to see them.”

“Who?”

“The witches.”

“Witches? Who told you there were witches?”

“The vicar,” Frank answered, clearly enjoying the joke. “His housekeeper’s one of them.”

I thought of the dignified Mrs. Graham and snorted derisively. “Don’t be ridiculous!”

Last edited by author: Tue, June 04 2024, 7:47:48 Edited 2 times.
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QOTD for Monday -- kgp, Tue, June 04 2024, 7:47:04
The following quotation is from Outlander by Diana Gabaldon Copyright 1991 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 2 Standing Stones.

“Goodness!” I stretched, trying to get the kinks out of my legs and back. “That was quite a sight, wasn’t it?”

“Wonderful!” enthused Frank. “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.” He slipped out of the bush like a snake, leaving me to disentangle myself while he cast about the interior of the circle, nose to the ground like a bloodhound.

“Whatever are you looking for?” I asked. I entered the circle with some hesitation, but day was fully come, and the stones, while still impressive, had lost a good deal of the brooding menace of dawn light.

“Marks.” he replied, crawling about on hands and knees, eyes intent on the short turf. “How did they know where to start and stop?”

“Good question. I don’t see anything.” Casting an eye over the ground, though, I did see and interesting plant growing near the base of one of the tall stones. Myosotis? No, probably not; this had orange centers to the deep blue flowers, Intrigued, I started toward it.

Last edited by author: Tue, June 04 2024, 7:47:30 Edited 1 time.
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QOTD for Saturday, May 18, 2024 -- CindyG, Fri, May 17 2024, 19:49:53
The following quote is from Written in My Own Heart’s Blood, chapter 24, “Welcome Coolness in the Heat, Comfort in the Midst of Woe.” Copyright ©️ 2014 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“‘Ask me to your bed,’ he said, breathless, hands on my arms. ‘I shall come to ye. For that matter—I shall come, whether ye ask it or no. But remember, Sassenach—I am your man; I serve ye as I will.’
‘Do,’ I said. ‘Please do. Jamie, I want you so!’
He seized my arse in both hands, hard enough to leave bruises, and I arched up into him, grasping, hands sliding on his sweat-slick skin.
‘God, Claire, I need ye!’
Rain was roaring on the tin roof now, and lightning struck close by, blue-white and sharp with ozone. We rode it together, forked and light-blind, breathless, and the thunder rolled through our bones.”

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Replies:
- WOW! What a week! Thank you for this. (NT) -- Janet, Sat, May 18 2024, 10:23:20
- I couldn’t remember exactly when this happened so I read the chapter title and it struck me how beautiful that thought is; comfort in the midst of woe. Thank you, Cindy, for a week of “hump days!” (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sun, May 19 2024, 4:29:31
- This week's quotes were a reminder that DG's sex scenes are so much more than "Insert Tab A into Slot B, repeat as necessary." Wow! (NT) -- DianaH, Mon, May 20 2024, 10:20:46
  - Oh my gosh, yes!! I sure agree with you, Diana. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, May 21 2024, 15:29:35
QOTD for Friday, May 17, 2024 -- CindyG, Thu, May 16 2024, 19:31:33
The following quote is from An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 11, “Transverse Lie.” Copyright ©️ 2009 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“‘This is silly,’ she said, ‘I can see my breath—and yours. It’s cold enough to blow smoke rings. We’ll freeze.’
‘No, we won’t. Ken the way the Indians make fire?’
‘What, rubbing a dry stick on a …’
‘Aye, friction.’ He’d got her petticoats up; her thigh was smooth and cold under his hand. “I see it’s no going to be dry, though—Christ, Sassenach, what have ye been about?” He had her firmly in the palm of his hand, warm and soft and juicy, and she squealed at the chill of his touch, loud enough that one of the mules let out a startled wheeze. She wriggled, just enough to make him take his hand out from between her legs and insert something else, quick.
‘Ye’re going to rouse the whole barn,’ he observed, breathless. God, the enveloping shock of the heat of her made him giddy.
She ran her cold hands up under his shirt and pinched both his nipples, hard, and he yelped, then laughed.
‘Do that again,’ he said, and bending, stuck his tongue in her cold ear for the pleasure of hearing her shriek. She wriggled and arched her back, but didn’t—he noticed—actually turn her head away. He took her earlobe gently between his teeth and began to worry it, rogering her slowly and laughing to himself at the noises she made.
It had been a long time of making silent love.
Her hands were busy at his back; he’d only let down the flap of his breeks and pulled his shirttail up out of the way, but she’d got the shirt out at the back now, and shoved both hands down his breeks and got his hurdies in a good two-handed grip. She pulled him in tight, digging in her nails, and he took her meaning. He let go her ear, rose on his hands, and rode her solid, the straw a-rustle round them like the crackle of burning.
He wanted simply to let go at once, spill himself and fall on her, hold her to his body and smell her hair in a doze of warmth and joy. A dim sense of obligation reminded him that she’d asked him for this; she’d needed it. He couldn’t go and leave her wanting.
He closed his eyes and slowed himself, lowered himself onto her so her body strained and rose along his length, the cloth of their clothes rasping and bunching up between them. He got a hand down under her, cupped her bare bum, and slid his fingers into the straining warm crease of her buttocks. Slid one a little farther, and she gasped. Her hips rose, trying to get away, but he laughed deep in his throat and didn’t let her. Wiggled the finger.
‘Do that again,’ he whispered in her ear. ‘Make that noise again for me.’
She made a better one, one he’d never heard before, and jerked under him, quivering and whimpering.
He pulled out the finger and guddled her, light and quick, all along the slick deep parts, feeling his own cock under his fingers, big and slippery, stretching her …
He made a terrible noise himself—like a dying cow—but was too happy to be shamed.
‘Ye’re no verra peaceful, Sassenach,’ he murmured a moment later, breathing in the smell of musk and new life. ‘But I like ye fine.’”

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Replies:
- I know this quote is too long, but it’s one of my favorites. (NT) -- CindyG, Thu, May 16 2024, 19:32:49
  - Not too long for me!! Two words that weren’t in my “sex vocabulary” before reading this; rogering and guddling - wgicj Jamie seems to do quite well. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Fri, May 17 2024, 2:49:01
QOTD for Thursday, May 16, 2024 -- CindyG, Wed, May 15 2024, 19:30:56
The following quote is from A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 66, “The Dark Rises.” Copyright ©️ 2005 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“‘I’ve the hands of a bricklayer,’ he said, laughing a little as I passed my lips lightly over the roughened knuckles and the still-sensitive tips of his long fingers.
‘Calluses on a man’s hands are deeply erotic,’ I assured him.
‘Are they, so?’ His free hand passed lightly over my shorn head and down the length of my back. I shivered and pressed closer to him, self-consciousness beginning to be forgotten. My own free hand roamed down the length of his body, toying with the soft, wiry bush of his hair, and the damply tender, half-hard cock.
He arched his back a little, then relaxed.
‘Well, I’ll tell ye, Sassenach,’ he said. ‘If I havena got calluses there, it’s no fault of yours, believe me.’”

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Replies:
- Cindy, this is a GREAT week of quotes! It took me ‘til today to “get” that you’re going through the books chronologically as you’re sharing these sexy, tender and funny scenes. I love how Diana describes everyday things that are sexy. Calloused hands on a man are sexy to me too. But Jamie’s comment about his cock having callouses had me laughing again. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, May 16 2024, 2:42:50
QOTD for Wednesday, May 15, 2024 -- CindyG, Tue, May 14 2024, 19:45:32
The following quote is from The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 13, “Beans and Barbecue.” Copyright ©️ 2001 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“‘I think we’ll not have time for the lot, Jamie dear,’ said the priest. ‘But if ye were to tell me about one or two of these occasions, just so as I could be formin’ a notion as to the … er … severity of the offense …?’
‘Och, aye. Well, the worst was likely the time wi’ the butter churn.’
‘Butter churn? Ah … the sort with the handle pokin’ up?” Father Kenneth’s tone encompassed a sad compassion for the lewd possibilities suggested by this. “Oh, no, Father; it was a barrel churn. The sort that lies on its side, aye, with a wee handle to turn it? Well, it’s only that she was workin’ the churn with great vigor, and the laces of her bodice undone, so that her breasts wobbled to and fro, and the cloth clinging to her with the sweat of her work. Now, the churn was just the right height—and curved, aye?—so as make me think of bendin’ her across it and lifting her skirts, and—‘
My mouth opened involuntarily in shock. That was my bodice he was describing, my breasts, and my butter churn! To say nothing of my skirts. I remembered that particular occasion quite vividly, and if it had started with an impure thought, it certainly hadn’t stopped there.“

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Replies:
- This made me laugh, again. Every time I picture Jamie’s “wellllll, Father” fake pious confession and Claire’s dawning realization - it cracks me up. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Wed, May 15 2024, 3:19:10
- This whole section of the book made me laugh, what with the butter churn, Jamie and Germaine making faces at Bree's wedding, etc. (NT) -- DianaH, Wed, May 15 2024, 14:23:00
QOTD for Tuesday, May 14, 2024 -- CindyG, Mon, May 13 2024, 20:25:44
The following quote is from Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon, chapter. 2, “In Which We Meet a Ghost.” Copyright ©️ 1997 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“Then he stirred and came toward me, still intent, but still no longer. His thighs were cold as water when he touched me, but within seconds he warmed and grew hot. Sweat sprang up at once where his hands touched my skin, and a flush of hot moisture dampened my breasts once more, making them round and slick against the hardness of his chest.
Then his mouth moved to mine and I melted—almost literally—into him. I didn’t care how hot it was, or whether the dampness on my skin was my sweat or his. Even the clouds of insects faded into insignificance. I raised my hips and he slid home, slick and solid, the last faint coolness of him quenched by my heat, like the cold metal of a sword, slaked in hot blood.”

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Replies:
- Well, then, it's getting rather warm around here... (NT) -- DianaH, Tue, May 14 2024, 8:56:33
QOTD for Monday, May 13, 2024 -- CindyG, Sun, May 12 2024, 21:14:22
The following quote is from Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 6, “Making Waves.” Copyright ©️ 1992 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“‘How did you get me in bed?’
‘I didn’t. I couldn’t budge you, so I just laid a quilt over you and left you on the hearth. You came to life and crawled in under your own power, somewhere in the middle of the night.’
He seemed surprised, and opened the other eye again.
‘I did?’
I nodded and tried to smooth down the hair that spiked out over his left ear.
‘Oh, yes. Very single-minded, you were.’
‘Single-minded?’ He frowned, thinking, and stretched, thrusting his arms up over his head. Then he looked startled.
‘No. I couldn’t have.’
‘Yes, you could. Twice.’
He squinted down his chest, as though looking for confirmation of this improbable statement, then looked back at me.
‘Really? Well, that’s hardly fair; I dinna remember a thing about it.’”

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Replies:
- Oh boy, CindyG, this is the start to a HOT week of Jamie! :-D (NT) -- DianaH, Mon, May 13 2024, 10:15:11
  - What could be better? (NT) -- CindyG, Mon, May 13 2024, 12:22:44
    - Perfect memories of great parts. 😊💥❤️ (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Mon, May 13 2024, 15:34:09
QOTD for Sunday, May 12, 2024 -- CindyG, Sun, May 12 2024, 8:01:15
The following quote is from Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 18, “Raiders in the Rocks.” Copyright ©️1991 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“‘Jamie,’ I panted. He pushed his kilt out of the way and pressed my hand against him.
‘Bloody Christ,’ I said, impressed despite myself. My sense of propriety slipped another notch.
‘Fighting gives ye a terrible cockstand, after. Ye want me, do ye no?’ he said, pulling back a little to look at me. It seemed pointless to deny it, what with all the evidence to hand. He was hard as a brass rod against my bared thigh.
‘Er … yes … but …’
He took a firm grip on my shoulders with both hands.
‘Be quiet, Sassenach,’ he said with authority. ‘It isna going to take verra long.’”

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Replies:
- This is still one of my favorite mmmphhs. Twenty five years later!! Where does the time go? (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Mon, May 13 2024, 15:29:48
QOTD for Friday, May 10, 2024 -- kgp, Fri, May 10 2024, 5:47:16
The following quotation is from Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved Chapter 78 Thee Smells of Blood

“Friend Silvia,” Ian said softly, “this is my wife, Rachel.”

“Friend?” Rachel said, astonished but heartened, “Thee is a Friend?”

The woman nodded, uncertain, “I am,” she said, and her voice was soft, but clear. “We are. I am Silvia Hardman, and these are my daughters: Patience, Prudence, and little Chastity.”

“They’ll be needing something to eat, mo cridhe. And then maybe - “

“A little hot water,” Silvia Hardman blurted. “Please. To - to wash.” Her hands were clenched on her knees, crumpling the faded homespun, and Rachel gave the hands a quick look - possibly she had helped Ian in his killing? The stone was hard in her throat again, but she nodded, touching the smallest of the little girls, a pretty, round-faced babe somewhere between one and two, more than half asleep on a sister’s lap.

“Right away,” she promised. “Ian - get thy mother.”

“I’m here,” Jenny said from behind her. Her voice was alert and interested. “I see we’ve got company.”

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Replies:
- Rachel and Jenny are both such strong, practical women, but with good hearts. (NT) -- DianaH, Fri, May 10 2024, 6:57:41
  - Jenny is definitely more used to odd midnight visitors needing sustenance. Earlier in this scene, Rachel is staring at Silvia's hands, ondering if she helped Ian kill "the beast". Both are more concerned about waking Oggy than the circumstances of the visitors. Feed them, wash them, let them sleep. Tomorrow will take care of itself. I do sort of wonder if anyone found the Justice and what they thought. (NT) -- kgp, Fri, May 10 2024, 9:53:17
    - I’m looking forward to reading about Rachel and Jenny. Jenny eventually gets on everyone’s nerves but Rachel is patience with a capital P. She always looks for the good in a person and has the gentlest rebukes. They both love Ian fiercely and I think that will bond them. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sat, May 11 2024, 12:40:19
QOTD for Thursday, May 9, 2024 -- kgp, Thu, May 09 2024, 8:11:42
The following quotation is from Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved Chapter 77 City Of Brotherly Love

“Yes. He - he brought us food. Every time he came.”

Her eye lingered on the awkward shape, but her face was unreadable.

“That’s no a bad epitaph,” he told her, taking the valise. “When my time comes, I hope mine is as good. Mount up. I’ll take care of this.”

He helped her up, then lifted Prudence, who squealed with excitement, and Chastity, who just stared, round-eyed, and sucked her thumb hard.

“Patience, ye’ll come with me, aye?” He tied the bundle of possessions at the back of the saddle, boosted Patience up front, then swung up behind her, a rope to the bridle of the Justice’s horse in one hand. He clicked his tongue to the horses and the grim little cavalcade lurched off into the lightly falling snow. None of the Hardmans looked back.

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Replies:
- I love Ian 💕. So matter of fact. Does what needs to be done, with empathy. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, May 09 2024, 14:36:32
  - I think Ian's epitaph, when the time comes, will be so much better than that. That not even Patience and Prudence looked back at their home says volumes about what their life was like. (NT) -- kgp, Thu, May 09 2024, 16:16:28
QOTD for Wednesday, May 8, 2024 -- kgp, Wed, May 08 2024, 5:37:41
The following quotation is from Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved Chapter 77 City Of Brotherly Love

“Go away,” she said. “And tell thy uncle to stop coming here.”

He looked her over carefully, but she seemed to be in her right mind. Homely as a board fence, but sensible enough.

“I think we may be talkin’ of different men, lassie. My uncle is Jamie Fraser, of Fraser’s Ridge in North Carolina. He stayed with your family for a day or two sometime past - “ He counted backward in his head and found an approximation, “It would ha’ been maybe two weeks before the battle at Monmouth; will ye have heard o’ that one?”

Evidently she had, for she scrambled out of the bush in such a hurry as to snag both limp brown hair and ratty shawl and emerged covered with dead leaves.

“Jamie Fraser? A very large Scottish man with red hair and a bad back?”

“That’s the one,” Ian said, and smiled at here. “Will your mam be at home, maybe? My uncle’s sent me to see to her welfare.”

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Replies:
- I loved reading about this little family and the lengths a mother goes to for her children. And I was especially glad when Jamie made sure they got back to the Ridge, where they could be safe. (NT) -- Janet, Wed, May 08 2024, 11:08:13
  - The daughters are going to become interesting in the next book, I think. I like that the know what lengths their mam has gone to to keep them fed and sheltered. I'm glad Ian found them before either Patience or Prudence were forced into it as well. (NT) -- kgp, Wed, May 08 2024, 13:44:39
QOTD for Tuesday, May 7, 2024 -- kgp, Tue, May 07 2024, 4:03:37
The Following Quotation is from Written In My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2015 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 10 The Descent Of The Holy Ghost Upon A Reluctant Disciple

“Don’t let Mam give thee rhubarb syrup,” she advised him.”It makes thee shit like the blazes, and if thee can’t get to the privy, it - “

“Prudence!”

Prudence obligingly shut her mouth, though she continued to look Jamie over with interest. Her sister knelt and rummaged under the bed, emerging with the family utensil, this a homely object of brown earthenware, which she presented gravely for inspection.

“We’ll turn our backs, sir, if thee should need to - “

“Patience!”

Red in the face, Mrs. Hardman took the pisspot from her daughter and shooed the little girls to the table, where - with a glance at Jamie to be sure he had meant it - she took the bread and meat and apples from his bag, dividing the food scrupulously into three parts: two large portions for the girls, and a smaller one for herself, put side for later.

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Replies:
- Two things struck me, the “family utensil” homely brown earthenware - no porcelain piss pots for this family. And a mother feeding her children as much as she could and keeping only a small portion for herself so Jamie couldn’t object. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Wed, May 08 2024, 3:23:02
QOTD for Monday, May 6, 2024 -- kgp, Mon, May 06 2024, 5:38:17
The Following Quotation is from Written In My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2015 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 10 The Descent Of The Holy Ghost Upon A Reluctant Disciple

“Is thee ill? I could give thee rhubarb syrup,” she offered. He managed to smile at that, shaking his head.

“I thank ye, ma’am. It’s no but a clench in my back. When it eases, all will be well.” The trouble was that until it eased, he was all but helpless, and the dawning realization of that gave him a sense of panic.

“Oh.” The woman hesitated for a moment, hovering, but then the baby started to wail and she turned away to fetch it. A little girl - five or six, he thought, a stunted little creature - crawled out from under the bed and stared at him curiously.

“Is thee going to stay to supper?” she asked, in a high, precise voice. She gave him an appraising frown. “Thee looks like thee would eat a lot.”

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Replies:
- Oh, I loved meeting this family! Great choice, kgp. (NT) -- DianaH, Mon, May 06 2024, 10:15:37
  - Me too, Diana! They ended up with Bobby Higgins, right? One of the older women in the church was just telling us about her famous rubarb custard pie. I didn’t know rhubarb was therapeutic (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Mon, May 06 2024, 16:45:50
    - Yes, with Bobby, which I thought was brilliant. Therapeutic, huh? Who knew? (NT) -- DianaH, Tue, May 07 2024, 13:07:39
QOTD for Sunday, May 5, 2024 -- kgp, Sun, May 05 2024, 10:58:00
The Following Quotation is from Written In My own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2015 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 10 The Descent Of The Holy Ghost Upon A Reluctant Disciple

“Jesus, Mary and Bride - not now,” he said between his teeth, and meant it somewhere between prayer and curse. He’d felt something small wrench or tear in his back when he’d hit John Grey, but in the heat of the moment it hadn’t seemed important. It’s hadn’t troubled him much walking - he’d barely noticed, with all there was on his mind - but now that he’d sat for a time and the muscles had chilled . . .

He tried rising, carefully, collapsed again. Bent sweating over the table with his fists clenched, he said a number of things in Gaelic that weren’t at all prayerful.

“Is thee quite well, Friend?” The woman of the house leaned near, peering nearsightedly at him in concern.

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Replies:
- I wrenched my knee for the first time in my life about a month ago. It still hurts but I always think of how many injuries Jamie’s had and how stoically he bears them. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Mon, May 06 2024, 16:41:06
Spam posters -- Janet, Thu, May 02 2024, 11:36:18
I HAD to open my mouth about adult sites......sorry!

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Replies:
- Hi - it's been removed. Judie and I checked every couple of days even if no one is doing QOTD. (NT) -- kgp, Sat, May 04 2024, 8:49:59
  - Thank You!!! (NT) -- Janet, Sat, May 04 2024, 10:54:14
Parrots??? -- Janet, Sun, April 28 2024, 10:08:15
Does it seem like this web site has been taken over by the parrot and macaw lobby?????

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Replies:
- I deleted all the messages. They seem to show up on the weekend. I also BANNED the ISP they posted from so hopefully that won't affect anyone who is a legit LOLer. :) (NT) -- Judie, Sun, April 28 2024, 12:05:15
  - I cleared a bunch the other day as well. At least it wasn't the point spam. (NT) -- kgp, Sun, April 28 2024, 18:10:09
  - Thank you, both. At least it wasn't for adult sites....another group I was on kept getting those posted, and they were pretty awful!!!!! (NT) -- Janet, Mon, April 29 2024, 11:15:39
QOTD for Saturday, April 20, 2024 -- CindyG, Fri, April 19 2024, 20:40:39
The following quote is from Seven Stones to Stand or Fall by Diana Gabaldon, “Introduction.” Copyright©️2017 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“NOW, REMEMBER…
You can read the short novels and novellas by themselves, or in any order you like. I would recommend reading the Big, Enormous Books of the main series in order, though. Hope you enjoy them all!”

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Replies:
- Do I ever!!!!! ❤️. I ended up not finishing season 7; I think they were fantastic adaptations of the books but it started seeming to “Hollywood” after the slow detailed developments in the books. Does anybody know when the next book might be coming out? (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sat, April 20 2024, 3:51:46
  - There's no date yet, in fact, Herself is not done writing it yet. I watched part of one episode of the series......just couldn't get into it, so I haven't even tried at all. Among other things, while the actors are great, none of them match my mental pictures of them. (NT) -- Janet, Sat, April 20 2024, 10:44:29
    - I'm fed up with how long it takes between seasons. Also, keeping Murtagh past Season 2 was ridiculous. His love affair with Jocasta was totally unnecessary. (NT) -- kgp, Sun, April 21 2024, 10:41:56
      - Agree on that! Part of his charm was his unrequited love for Ellen that got transferred to his love and loyalty to Jamie. Also agree about the actors - have known them so long in my head it’s hard to “see” them so different. Especially young Ian, for me. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Mon, April 22 2024, 3:57:42
QOTD for Friday, April 19, 2024 -- CindyG, Thu, April 18 2024, 19:56:38
The following quote is from Seven Stones to Stand or Fall by Diana Gabaldon, “Introduction.” Copyright©️2017 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“ So, for the reader’s convenience, the detailed listing here shows the sequence of the various elements in terms of the story line. However, it should be noted that the shorter novels and novellas are all designed in such a way that they may be read alone, without reference either to one another or to the Big, Enormous Books—should you be in the mood for a light literary snack instead of the nine-course meal with wine pairings and dessert trolley.”

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Replies:
- These explanations helped me. In the beginning I could quote specific dates, events, family relations, what happened when, etc…. lol. Now? I really need a guide to Outlander. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sat, April 20 2024, 3:48:53
QOTD for Thursday, April 18, 2024 -- CindyG, Wed, April 17 2024, 19:39:07
The following quote is from Seven Stones to Stand or Fall by Diana Gabaldon, “Introduction.” Copyright©️2017 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“The Big Books of the main series deal with the lives and times of Claire and Jamie Fraser. The shorter novels focus on the adventures of Lord John Grey but intersect with the larger books (The Scottish Prisoner, for example, features both Lord John and Jamie Fraser in a shared story). The novellas all feature people from the main series, including Jamie and/or Claire on occasion. The description below explains which characters appear in which stories.
Most of the shorter Lord John novels and novellas (so far) fit within a large lacuna left in the middle of Voyager, in the years between 1756 and 1761. Some of the Bulges also fall in this period; others don’t.”

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QOTD for Wednesday, April 17, 2024 -- CindyG, Wed, April 17 2024, 8:35:05
The following quote is from Seven Stones to Stand or Fall by Diana Gabaldon, “Introduction.” Copyright©️2017 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“THE OUTLANDER SERIES includes three kinds of stories:
The Big, Enormous Books of the main series, which have no discernible genre (or all of them);
The Shorter, Less Indescribable Novels, which are more or less historical mysteries (though dealing also with battles, eels, and assorted sexual practices);
And
The Bulges,—these being short(er) pieces that fit somewhere inside the story lines of the novels, much in the nature of squirming prey swallowed by a large snake. These deal frequently—but not exclusively—with secondary characters, are prequels or sequels, and/or fill some lacuna left in the original story lines.”

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Replies:
- Lacuna sounded like some kind of sea monster to me so I looked it up and learned another new word through Outlander. These are such good descriptions of her work and just leave me wanting more! (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Wed, April 17 2024, 18:46:57
QOTD for Tuesday, April 16, 2024 -- CindyG, Mon, April 15 2024, 21:24:00
The following quote is from Seven Stones to Stand or Fall by Diana Gabaldon, “Introduction.” Copyright©️2017 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“SO. THIS IS (as the front cover suggests) a collection of seven novellas (fiction shorter than a novel but longer than a short story), though all of them are indeed part of the Outlander universe and do intersect with the main novels.
Five of the novellas included in this book were originally written for various anthologies over the last few years; two are brand-new and have never been published before: ‘A Fugitive Green’ and ‘Besieged.’
Owing to differences among publishers in different countries, some of the previously published novellas may subsequently have been published in print form as a four-story collection (in the UK and Germany) or as separate ebooks (in the United States). Seven Stones provides a complete print collection for those readers who like tactile books and includes the two new stories.
Since the novellas fit into the main series at different points (and involve a number of different characters), below is an overall chronology of the Outlander series, to explain Who, What, and When.”

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Replies:
- Imagine being Diana and having this rich, exciting world in your head all day long. I'd never get anything else done. (NT) -- kgp, Tue, April 16 2024, 11:06:26
  - I agree. The way she describes the characters speaking to her and then she tells their story is amazing . And so, so good. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, April 16 2024, 12:35:18
- I love Fugitive Green. Minnie is so interesting and I can’t wait to read more about her and Hal (who I used to hate). (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, April 16 2024, 13:31:35
QOTD for Monday, April 15, 2024 -- CindyG, Sun, April 14 2024, 21:34:13
The following quote is from Seven Stones to Stand or Fall by Diana Gabaldon, “Introduction.” Copyright©️2017 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“Without going too much into the mental process that led to this (words like ‘sausage-making’ and ‘rock-polishing’ come to mind), I wanted a title that at least suggested that there were a number of elements in this book (hence the Seven), and Seven Stones just came naturally, and that was nice (‘stone’ is always a weighty word) and suitably alliterative but not a complete poetic thought (or rhythm). So, a bit more thinkering (no, that’s not a typo), and I came up with to Stand or Fall, which sounded suitably portentous.
It took a bit of ex post facto thought to figure out what the heck that meant, but things usually do mean something if you think long enough. In this instance, the ‘stand or fall’ has to do with people’s response to grief and adversity: to wit, if you aren’t killed outright by whatever happened, you have a choice in how the rest of your life is lived—you keep standing, though battered and worn by time and elements, still a buttress and a signpost—or you fall and return quietly to the earth from which you sprang, your elements giving succor to those who come after you.”

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Replies:
- You fall and return quietly to the earth - I have certainly felt like doing exactly that many times. (NT) -- kgp, Mon, April 15 2024, 15:28:20
- I always thought about “THE stones” when I read the title of this book. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, April 16 2024, 12:31:49
QOTD for Saturday, April 13, 2024 -- kgp, Fri, April 12 2024, 19:40:09
The following quotation is from The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon Copyright 2001 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 44 Private Parts

With my blood no longer boiling, I could admit that Jamie might perhaps be right about Phillip Wylie’s intent in making objectionable advances to me. He might not be, too. But regardless of the young man’s underlying motives, I did have incontrovertible proof that he had found me physically appealing, grandmother or not. I rather thought I wouldn’t mention that to Jamie, though; Phillip Wylie was a very annoying young man, but upon cooler reflection, I had decided that I would prefer not to have him disemboweled on the front lawn, after all.

Still, maturity did alter one’s perspective somewhat. For all the personal implications of those male members in an excited state, it was the flaccid one that most interested me at the moment. My fingers itched to get hold of Duncan Innes’s private parts - figuratively, at least.

Last edited by author: Fri, April 12 2024, 19:40:53 Edited 1 time.
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Replies:
- And finally……”itched to get hold of Duncan Innes’s private parts - figuratively, at least.” Claire’s practical attitude toward the human body and its various maladies crack me up. 😂 (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sat, April 13 2024, 10:59:49
  - Makes me giggle every time I read this! (NT) -- DianaH, Mon, April 15 2024, 10:53:37
QOTD for Sunday, April 14, 2024 -- CindyG, Sun, April 14 2024, 10:59:37
The following quote is from Seven Stones to Stand or Fall by Diana Gabaldon, “Introduction.” Copyright©️2017 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

I just love the introduction to this book. Who else begins with an apology and explanation of the title?

“If you picked this book up under the misapprehension that it’s the ninth novel in the main Outlander series, it’s not. I apologize.
So, if it’s not the ninth novel, what is it? Well, it’s a collection of seven…er…things, of varying length and content, but all having to do with the Outlander universe. As for the title…basically, it’s the result of my editor not liking my original title choice, Salmagundi.* Not that I couldn’t see her point…Anyway, there was a polite request via my agent for something more in line with the ‘resonant, poetic’ nature of the main titles.”

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Replies:
- Nobody does anything like Diana. I used to scan intros and hardly bothered with acknowledgements, much to my shame, but I read every thing Diana writes. Things like this charming chat about her book……..she seems so approachable. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sun, April 14 2024, 11:44:51
QOTD for Friday, April 12, 2024 -- kgp, Fri, April 12 2024, 19:38:48
The following quotation is from The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon Copyright 2001 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 43 Flirtations

“Aye, I’m up to my ears in Majors and Regulators and drunken maid servants, and you’re out in the stable canoodling wi’ the fop!”

I felt the blood rising behind my eyes, and curled my fists, in order to control the impulse to slap him.

“I was not ‘canoodling’ in the slightest degree, and you know it! The beastly little twerp made a pass at me, that’s all.”

“A pass? Made love to ye, ye mean? Aye, I can see that!!”

“He did not!”

“Oh, aye? Ye asked him to let ye try his bawbee on for luck, then?” He waggled the finger with the black patch under my nose, and I slapped it away, recalling a moment too late that “make love to” merely meant to engage in amorous flirtation, rather than fornication.

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Replies:
- I just keep laughing this week. Taking these scenes alone gives me time to enjoy “canoodling wi’ the fop”. “Try his bawbee on for luck,then”. and with such indignation…… “waggled the finger with the black patch under my nose”. All these years later they still get me! (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sat, April 13 2024, 10:57:39
  - I love Diana's writing 😄 (NT) -- kgp, Sat, April 13 2024, 15:51:41
QOTD for Thursday, April 11, 2024 -- kgp, Thu, April 11 2024, 8:50:26
The following quotation is from The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon Copyright 2001 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 40 Duncan’s Secret

“Oh, it makes a difference, all right,” I said. I leaned back against a tree, arms crosses under my bosom, and gave him a look from under my lashes. “When I am a hundred and one, and you’re ninety-six, I’ll invite you to my bed - and we’ll see which one of us rises to the occasion, hmmm?”

He looked at me thoughtfully, a glint in the dark blue of his eyes.

“I’ve a mind to take ye where ye stand, Sassenach,” he said. “Payment on account, hmmm?

“I’ve a mind to take you up on it,” I said. “However . . . “ I glanced through the screen of branches toward the house, which was clearly visible. The trees were beginning to leaf out, but the tiny sprays of tender green were by no means sufficient camouflage. I turned back, just as Jamie’s hands descended on the swell of my hips.

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Replies:
- Sweet ❤️. This was a good mmmpphh under the bushes. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Fri, April 12 2024, 14:50:26
- Shoot! I thought I posted today's. I have to teach tonight but I'll post afterward. (NT) -- kgp, Fri, April 12 2024, 15:20:00
QOTD for Wednesday, April 10, 2024 -- kgp, Thu, April 11 2024, 8:49:50
The following quotation is from The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon Copyright 2001 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 40 Duncan’s Secret

“Well,” he said slowly, “it’s true that Duncan hasna been wed before. Did ye not wonder why?”

“No,” I said. “I’d just assumed that the Rising had - oh, dear.” I stopped, catching a notion of what this might be about. “It’s not - goodness. You mean . . . he likes men?” My voice rose involuntarily.

“No!” he said, scandalized. “Christ, ye dinna think I’d let him marry my aunt, and him a sodomite? Christ.” He glanced around, to be sure no one else had heard this calumny. And shepherded me into the shelter of the tree, just in case.

“Well, you wouldn’t necessarily know, would you?” I asked, amused.

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Replies:
- OMG 😆 I keep laughing out loud. Thank you!!!! These books really are amazing. So much depth and so many wonderful characters; I truly feel like they’re my family that doesn’t live close. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Fri, April 12 2024, 14:48:18
QOTD for Tuesday, April 9, 2024 -- kgp, Tue, April 09 2024, 10:34:46
The following quotation is from The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon Copyright 2001 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 39 In Cupid’s Grove

Ever since she had shown him the sperms, he had been uncomfortably aware of the crowded conditions that must now and then obtain in his balls, and impression made forcibly stronger in situations such as this. He kent well enough that there was no danger of rupture or explosion - and yet he couldn’t help but think of all the shoving going on.

Being trapped in a seething mass of others, with no hope of escape, was one of his own personal visions of Hell, and he paused for a moment outside the screen of willow trees to administer a brief squeeze of reassurance, which he hoped might calm the riot for a bit.

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Replies:
- Burst out laughing at this!!! Men 🙄 (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Wed, April 10 2024, 12:21:12
  - LOL!! 😆 (NT) -- kgp, Thu, April 11 2024, 11:19:18
QOTD for Monday, April 8, 2024 -- kgp, Mon, April 08 2024, 5:35:28

The following quotation is from The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon Copyright 2001 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 37 Mail Call

“Here’s one we could do. The Testicles of a Male Animal - like you’d get them from a female animal - taken with six large Mushrooms and boyled in Sour Ale until tender, the both Testicles and Mushrooms to be sliced thin, well-pepper’d and seasoned with Salt, then sprinkled with Vinegar and brown’d before the Fire until crusty. Da hasn’t gotten around to castrating Gideon yet, has he?”

“No. I’m sure he’d be happy to give you the objects in question, if you want to try.”

She went very pink in the face, and cleared her throat with a noise that reminded me even more of her father. “I - um - don’t think we need that just yet.”

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Replies:
- Is this when Roger came back but was distant from Brianna? First I thought they might be looking to help Duncan but when Bri blushed and says “we don’t need that yet” I changed my mind. Thank you for the quotes, Karen! (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Mon, April 08 2024, 14:29:03
  - Bree and Claire are looking through a Ladie's Magazine that Jocasta sent. This does sound particularly disgusting. (NT) -- kgp, Tue, April 09 2024, 10:36:57
- I'd pass on this dish as well! ICK! (NT) -- DianaH, Tue, April 09 2024, 10:35:09
  - I like the occasional oyster on the half shell - like, once a year. The fried ones I found more objectionable than the raw one. (NT) -- kgp, Tue, April 09 2024, 10:38:19
QOTD for Sunday, April 7, 2024 -- kgp, Sun, April 07 2024, 11:40:00
The following quotation is from The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon Copyright 2001 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 37 Mail Call

”A Spur To Venus. This being a list of infallible Remedys for Fatigue of the Male Member.”

I peered over her arm, my own eyebrows rising.

“Goodness. A Dozen of Oysters, soaked overnight in a Mixture of Wine and Milk, to be baked in a Tart with Crushed Almonds and Lobstermeat, and served with Spiced Peppers. I don’t know what it would do for the male member, but it would probably give the gentleman attached to it violent indigestion. Of course, we haven't got any oysters here anyway.”

“No loss,” she assured me, frowning at the page in concentration. “Oysters remind me of big plugs of snot.”

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Replies:
- Oh boy - me too! Never liked oysters except for their flavor in oyster stew. I can’t remember what cookbook they’re looking at. I love our old church cookbooks where everyone contributes their favorite recipe. I have one from the Oh boy - me too! I can’t remember what cookbook they’re looking at. I love our old church cookbooks where everyone contributes their favorite and almost every entree featured a can of Campbell’s soup. lol (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Mon, April 08 2024, 14:26:32
- I don't like seafood anyway, but this recipe sounds vile! (NT) -- DianaH, Tue, April 09 2024, 10:33:37
QOTD for Saturday, March 16, 2024 -- CindyG, Fri, March 15 2024, 19:44:34
The following quote is from Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 155, “Quaker Wedding, Redux.” Copyright ©️ 2021 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“Then the rider came right to the edge of the porch and reined up and my heart leapt as I saw who it was. William snatched off his hat and bowed from the saddle. He was breathing hard, his dark hair was pasted to his head with sweat, and there were hectic patches of red across his broad cheekbones. He gulped air, his eyes fixed on Jamie.
‘Sir,’ he said, and swallowed. ‘I need your help.’”

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Replies:
- This was a great ending!! Both loving Lord John and needing to rescue him gives many opportunities for William to get to know how lucky he is to have his two fathers. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sat, March 16 2024, 4:23:10
- Just catching up on all of these wonderful quotes after being on vacation, then digging out my desk at work. Thank you CindyG! (NT) -- DianaH, Tue, March 19 2024, 11:43:02
QOTD for Thursday, March 7, 2024 -- kgp, Thu, March 07 2024, 8:11:36
The following quotation is from Written in My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 80 Pater Noster

“Your father,” Hal said after a few moments. “Or my brother, if you prefer. Do you recall when you saw him last?”

Resentment sparked abruptly into anger.

“Yes, I bloody do. On the morning of the sixteenth. In his house. With mo other father.”

Hal made a low humming noise, indicating interest.

“That when you found out, was it?”

“It was.”

“Did John tell you?”

“No, he bloody didn’t!” Blood surged to William’s face, making his head throb with a fierce suddenness that made him dizzy. “If I hadn’t come face-to-face with the - the fellow, I don’t suppose he’d ever have told me!”

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Replies:
- I never really understood all of William’s awful emotions until I just read this passage alone. We, along with almost everyone important in his life, already knew and he realized that almost the same time. It was horrible for him and I get it a lot more when I look at it from his perspective. I’m still trying to like him more than I do. lol (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sun, March 10 2024, 12:22:14
- So much of who William thought he was turned out to be false. Plus, all of the people - Lord John, Hal, Claire, even Ian, knew, while he himself was kept ignorant of his parentage. It's little wonder he was so angry and confused. (NT) -- DianaH, Tue, March 19 2024, 11:39:57
QOTD for Wednesday, March 6, 2024 -- kgp, Wed, March 06 2024, 5:47:37
The following quotation is from Written in My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 80 Pater Noster

“You want me to . . . sing? he managed.

“Well, perhaps not right this minute,” the duke said. He sat back on his stool and began to whistle a tune. “Recognize that, do you?” he asked, breaking off.

“‘Lillibulero’,” William said, beginning to feel rather cross. “Why, for God’s sake?”

“Knew a chap once who was hit on the head with an ax and lost the ability to make out music. Couldn’t tell one note from another.” Hall leaned forward, holding up two fingers. “How many fingers am I holding up?”

“Two. Stick them up your nose,” William advised him.

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Replies:
- Uncle Hal? Can’t remember this scene but the dialogue screams dry “Hal.” Lol (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Wed, March 06 2024, 10:50:02
  - After Ian rescued him from the ditch during the battle at Monmouth. (NT) -- kgp, Thu, March 07 2024, 8:06:04
- Knew a chap who was hit on the head with an axe... Turns out he's your father! (NT) -- DianaH, Tue, March 19 2024, 11:35:45
QOTD for Wednesday, March 13, 2024 -- CindyG, Tue, March 12 2024, 19:25:10
The following quote is from Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 25, “Enter a Serpent.” Copyright ©️ 1997 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“There had luckily been enough sewage in the bottom of the pit to break his fall. From appearances, the ninth Earl of Ellesmere had landed facedown. Lord John stood for a moment on the path, wiping his hands on his breeches and surveying the encrusted object before him. He rubbed the back of a hand over his mouth, trying either to hide a smile or to stifle his sense of smell.
Then his shoulders started to shake.
‘What news from the Underworld, Persephone?’ he said, unable to keep the quaver of laughter out of his voice.
A pair of slanted eyes looked blue murder out of the mask of filth obscuring his Lordship’s features. It was a thoroughly Fraser expression, and I felt a qualm go through me at the sight. By my side, Ian gave a sudden start. He glanced quickly from the Earl to Jamie and back, then he caught my eye and his own face went perfectly and unnaturally blank.”

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Replies:
- This really was hysterical and so much fun to see Lord John and Jamie share the laugh and the reference to Persephone. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, March 14 2024, 16:46:14
  - It definitely cut through the tension! (NT) -- kgp, Fri, March 15 2024, 8:34:20
QOTD for Thursday, March 14, 2024 -- CindyG, Wed, March 13 2024, 19:24:28
The following quote is from A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 116, “The Ninth Earl of Ellesmere.” Copyright ©️ 2005 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“‘My son,’ Lord John was saying. ‘William, Lord Ellesmere.’ He eyed her narrowly, as though daring her to say anything. ‘Might I present Mr. Roger MacKenzie, William? And his wife.’
‘Sir. Mrs. MacKenzie.’ The young man took her hand before she realized what he meant to do, and bowed low over it, planting a small formal kiss upon her knuckles.
She nearly gasped at the unexpected touch of his breath on her skin, but instead gripped his hand, much harder than she’d meant to. He looked momentarily disconcerted, but extricated himself with reasonable grace. He was much younger than she’d thought at first glance; it was the uniform and the air of self-possession that made him seem older. He was looking at her with a slight frown on his clear-cut features, as though trying to place her.
‘I think …’ he began, hesitant. ‘Have we met, Mrs. MacKenzie?’
‘No,” she said, astonished to hear her voice emerge sounding normal. ‘No, I’m afraid not. I would have remembered.’ She darted a daggerlike glance at Lord John, who had gone slightly green around the gills.”

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Replies:
- Brianna had amazing self control here. Poor Lord John, knowing the Fraser tendencies to do what they want, was right to be green around the gills. Lol (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, March 14 2024, 16:48:36
- I don't remember how they got from this to the beginning of Echo where they are having a conversation while the tide is coming in over Stephen Bonnet's corpse. (NT) -- kgp, Fri, March 15 2024, 6:48:03
QOTD for Friday, March 15, 2024 -- CindyG, Thu, March 14 2024, 20:15:42
The following quote is from An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 101, “Redivivus.” Copyright ©️ 2009 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“Jamie stood at the end of the hall, some ten feet away; John stood beside him, white as a sheet, and his eyes bulging as much as Willie’s were. This resemblance to Willie, striking as it was, was completely overwhelmed by Jamie’s own resemblance to the Ninth Earl of Ellesmere. William’s face had hardened and matured, losing all trace of childish softness, and from both ends of the short hall, deep blue Fraser cat-eyes stared out of the bold, solid bones of the MacKenzies. And Willie was old enough to shave on a daily basis; he knew what he looked like.
Willie’s mouth worked, soundless with shock. He looked wildly at me, back at Jamie, back at me—and saw the truth in my face.
‘Who are you?’ he said hoarsely, wheeling on Jamie.
I saw Jamie draw himself slowly upright, ignoring the noise below.
‘James Fraser,’ he said. His eyes were fixed on William with a burning intensity, as though to absorb every vestige of a sight he would not see again. ‘Ye kent me once as Alex MacKenzie. At Helwater.’
William blinked, blinked again, and his gaze shifted momentarily to John.
‘And who—who the bloody hell am I?’ he demanded, the end of the question rising in a squeak.
John opened his mouth, but it was Jamie who answered.
‘You are a stinking Papist,’ he said, very precisely, ‘and your baptismal name is James.’ The ghost of regret crossed his face and then was gone. ‘It was the only name I had a right to give ye,’ he said quietly, eyes on his son. ‘I’m sorry.’”

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Replies:
- I felt so bad for William. Poor man, what a shock! Brianna wasn't so happy when she found out either. (NT) -- kgp, Fri, March 15 2024, 6:43:28
QOTD for Tuesday, March 12, 2024 -- CindyG, Mon, March 11 2024, 19:27:13
The following quote is from Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 25, “Enter a Serpent.” Copyright ©️ 1997 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“No, I thought, watching covertly as he straightened up, face flushed from bending. It wasn’t as strong as I’d thought at first. He had the promise of Jamie’s bones, but it wasn’t all there yet—he had the outlines, but not yet the substance. He would be very tall—that was obvious—but now he was about my height, gawky and slender, his limbs very long, and thin enough to seem almost delicate.
He was much darker than Jamie, too; while his hair glinted red in the shafts of sunlight that came through the branches, it was a deep chestnut, nothing like Jamie’s bright red-gold, and his skin had turned a soft golden brown in the sun, not at all like Jamie’s half-burnt bronze.
He had the Frasers’ slanted cat-eyes, though, and there was something about the set of his head, the cock of the slender shoulders, that made me think of—
Bree. It hit me with a small shock, like a spark of electricity.”

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Replies:
- It’s so interesting how she describes Jamie and Geneva’s features in William. I’m glad he got the slanted cat’s eyes. I always think of Diana’s eyes when this feature is mentioned. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, March 12 2024, 13:20:31
QOTD for Monday, March 11, 2024 -- CindyG, Sun, March 10 2024, 19:46:22
The following quote is from Voyager by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 16, “Willie.” Copyright ©️ 1994 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“Willie started for the door, but stopped halfway, suddenly distressed again, with a hand pressed flat to his chest.
‘You said to keep this to remember you. But I haven’t got anything for you to remember me by!’
Jamie smiled slightly. His heart was squeezed so tight, he thought he could not draw breath to speak, but he forced the words out.
‘Donna fret yourself,’ he said. ‘I’ll remember ye.’”

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Replies:
- I'm not sure which was harder, this scene or losing Claire...I think losing Claire because he had no way of knowing if she made it back. But losing a child, even if like this, is hard, too. (NT) -- Janet, Mon, March 11 2024, 10:57:02
  - And he lost him because of “society.” I can’t wait to see more of their adult reunion. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, March 12 2024, 13:17:58
QOTD for Sunday, March 10, 2024 -- CindyG, Sat, March 09 2024, 18:57:39
The following quote is from Voyager by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 15, “By Misadventure.” Copyright ©️ 1994 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“Past all conscious thought or any fear of consequence, Jamie Fraser acted on the instinct that had seen him through a dozen battles. He snatched one pistol from the transfixed Jeffries, turned on his heel, and fired in the same motion.
The roar of the shot struck everyone silent. Even the child ceased to scream. Ellesmere’s face went quite blank, thick eyebrows raised in question. Then he staggered, and Jamie leapt forward, noting with a sort of detached clarity the small round hole in the baby’s trailing drapery, where the pistol ball had passed through it.
He stood then rooted on the hearthrug, heedless of the fire scorching the backs of his legs, of the still-heaving body of Ellesmere at his feet, of the regular, hysterical shrieks of Lady Dunsany, piercing as a peacock’s. He stood, eyes tight closed, shaking like a leaf, unable either to move or to think, arms wrapped tight about the shapeless, squirming, squawking bundle that contained his son.”

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Replies:
- This should be unbelievable- but it’s not!!! Not in Jamie’s hand, written by Diana.. It ended so beautifully with Jamie holding his squirming bundle of a son. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sun, March 10 2024, 12:25:58
QOTD for Saturday, March 9, 2024. Highland Ball Weekend here. One blasted thing to scratch off my list. Cuccu. -- kgp, Sat, March 09 2024, 7:20:39
The following quotation is from Written in My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 102 Postpartum

“Your mother,” he began, and cleared his throat again.

When Roger had finished, Buck sat in silence for some time, blinking at the last slice of bacon, drying in the pan.

“Jesus,” he said, but not in tones of shock. More a deep interest, Roger thought, with some unease. Buck glanced up at Roger, speculation in his moss-green eyes. “And what d’ye ken about my father, then?”

“More than I can tell ye in a few minutes, and we should be on our way.” Roger got up, brushing crumbs off his knees. “I don’t want to try explaining our presence to any of those hairy buggers. My Old English isn’t what it used to be.”

“ ‘Sumer is icumen in,” Buck said, with a glance at the leafless, wind-blasted saplings precariously rooted in the cliff’s crevices. “ ‘Lhude sing cuccu.’ Aye, let’s go.”

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Replies:
- Was this before or after Buck seemingly slept with her? (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sun, March 10 2024, 12:23:53
QOTD for Friday, March 8, 2024 -- kgp, Fri, March 08 2024, 10:02:58
The following quotation is from Written in My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 97 A Man To Do A Man’s Job

“No, sir,” he said respectfully, and pushed back his own chair. “I’ll stay with my mam.”

“You don’t need to do that, honey,” she said. “Uncle Joe and I have grown-up things we need to talk about. You - “

“I’m staying.”

She gave him a hard look, but recognized instantly, with a combination of horror and fascination, a Fraser male with his mind made up.

His lower lip was trembling, just a little. He shut his mouth hard to stop it and looked soberly from her to Joe, then back.

“Dad’s not here,” he said, and swallowed. “And neither is Grandda. I’m . . . I’m staying.”

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Replies:
- Jemmie has grown up so fast, but he has good role models. It will be interesting to see him mature into his guardian role! (NT) -- Janet, Fri, March 08 2024, 10:17:18
QOTD for Tuesday, March 5, 2024 - I like this section becaue we rarely seem to see Denny lose his s***. He usually sounds (in my head) so calm and reasonable. There's also the ingrained politeness in the midst of it. "Not at all." I've read other stories about regimental surgeons that echo this, the rivalry between units and preference given. -- kgp, Tue, March 05 2024, 7:40:20
The following quotation is from Written in My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 75 The Cider Orchard

“They are idiots,” he said, so pale - with rage, I now realized - that he could barely speak. Regimental surgeons, they call themselves! A good quarter of them have never seen a man wounded in battle before. And those who have are barely capable of anything in the way of treatment save the crudest amputation. A company of barbers would do better!”

“Can they stop bleeding?” I asked, taking his hand and wrapping it round my patient’s arm. He automatically pressed his thumb to the brachial artery near the armpit, and the spurting that had started when I took my own hand away stopped. “Thank you,” I said.

“Not at all. Yes, most of them can do that,” he admitted, calming down just a little. “But they are so jealous of privilege - and so much affiliated with their own regiments - that some are letting a wounded man die because he is not one of theirs and his own regimental surgeon is otherwise occupied!”

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Replies:
- The same thing still exists today. There are some great doctors but there are some huge egos too. Have to be careful of choices. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Wed, March 06 2024, 10:48:12
QOTD for Monday, March 4, 2024 -- kgp, Mon, March 04 2024, 6:28:30
The following quotation is from Written in My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 75 The Cider Orchard

I don’t know when physicians began calling it “the Golden Hour,” but surely every battlefield medic from the time of the Iliad onward knows about it. From the time of an accident or injury that isn’t immediately fatal, the victim’s chances of living are best if he receives treatment within an hour of sustaining the injury. After that, shock, continual loss of blood, debility due to pain . . . the chance of saving a patient goes sharply downhill.

Add in blazing temperatures, lack of water, and the stress of running full out through fields and woods, wearing wool homespun and carrying heavy weapons, inhaling powder smoke, and trying either to kill someone or avoid being killed, just prior to being injured, and I rather thought we were looking at a Golden fifteen minutes or so.

Given also the fact that the wounded were having to be carried or to walk - probably more than a mile - to a place where they could find assistance . . . I supposed we were doing well to save as many as we were. If only temporarily, I added grimly to myself, hearing the screaming from inside the church.

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Replies:
- Diana writes these so well it makes me wonder how ANYONE survived. Not shocking, bloody, gorey descriptions - but little human details that I can feel…….”blazing temperatures”……….”wearing wool homespun”………”running full out through fields and woods”…. I can feel the fear (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, March 05 2024, 5:10:02
QOTD for Sunday, March 3, 2024 -- kgp, Sun, March 03 2024, 8:31:27
The last five or six months have been rather trying and emotionally exhausting. I'd committed to organizing the Highland Ball which is this weekend which is exhausting in itself. But my DH who had not been well, had extensive cardiac surgery in November and is recovering well but slowly. My dear little Civic hybrid was valiantly trying to reach 400 K miles but was being attacked by the local chipmunks who were taking insulation, etc as well as leaving tiny calling cards all over the interior. A large pine branch fell some 40 ft and through our roof causing it to rain in the bedroom as the snow melted. The remediation crew has been in and out since January drying the ceiling, walls and floor, spraying whatever to discourage mold. There is a giant dumpster in my driveway. The roofing crew showed up unexpectedly on Friday, found more damage than previously expected and ended up rebuilding our entire dormer. The interior repair still needs to get done so we still can't use our bedroom. One grown son is having an issue we had hoped had been resolved 13 years ago - I won't go into it. It's been one damn thing after another.

Yet we are still more fortunate than others and have decent health and property insurance. The financial blow of having to replace a car just now was not fun but we'll get through it. I need to remember that and look for the glimmers in the gloom. The Ball will be over in a few days and then it's the mopping up of the details. I'm not worried my car will die late at night coming home from teaching an hour away. The grown child is getting help and still plans to get married next year. My DSis and I are taking some time away that had been canceled last year when DH ended up in the ER. The sun is out and it's 60F today. Deep breath.

Anyway, here's Claire -

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

The following quotation is from Written in My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 74 The Sort Of Thing That Will Make A Man Sweat and Tremble

I gave my burnt artilleryman water, then helped him to his feet. As he stood up, I saw behind his legs the epitaph carved into Gilbert Tennent’s headstone:

O READER HAD YOU HEARD HIS LAST TESTIMONY YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN CONVINCED OF THE EXTREME MADNESS OF DELAYING REPENTANCE.

“I suppose there are worse places to be doing this,” I remarked to the artilleryman, but, unable to hear me, he simply raised my hand and kissed it before swaying off to sit down on the grass, the wet towel pressed to his face.

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Replies:
- Oh. My. God. I’m so sorry - talk about an overflowing plate! You must be a half full glass person because you sure ended that awful tale with positivity. Like Claire’s artillery man - that wet towel was enough for massive gratitude after hell. Sending good karma, best wishes and prayers that all this moves along in Claire fashion. Correct, brief, no nonsense, with love. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sun, March 03 2024, 8:40:57
  - And still did QOTD!! Talk about Lally Love! I bet the Ball will be wonderful - hope you have fun after all the work. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sun, March 03 2024, 8:42:47
- WOW! You've had your hands full, thank you for the QOTD with all that going on. Lally love to you. (NT) -- Janet, Sun, March 03 2024, 10:20:29
- Thank you for the prayers and good wishes. I needed to get that out, I feel like I'm the one holding it together for everyone else right now. (NT) -- kgp, Mon, March 04 2024, 7:10:16
- kgp, my grandfather used to say, "If it's not one thing, it's TWO!" But this is a whole lot more. Sending Lally Hugs, wish there was more I could do to help you through. (NT) -- DianaH, Mon, March 04 2024, 10:54:52
QOTD for Saturday (I think)2/24/24 -- Betsy, I'm pretty sure I'm Betsy. Somedays I'm sure, but not today., Sat, February 24 2024, 11:44:35
Happy Saturday/Sunday to us All,

My desk-top computer sits up against a wall full of (dusty) pictures of four generations of Family paintings and photos. Paintings of my two grandmothers as young women hang above my head, sometimes beautiful, sometime eerie, sometimes intimadating. Both of those ladies were about twenty when the original pictures were taken. My parents had oil paintings made sometime in the sixties and the Ladies now reside on my wall, beautiful and haunting.

There are many more photos planted all over the wall.....From a cute black and white of my father, age about two trying to climb into a wagon with his cousins, to David's father as a young man, David as a baby, and a ton more, but you get the picture.

Way over on the left side is a miniature painting of an unknown woman in my ancestory. The framing around it is quite beautiful, but the woman herself doesn't appear to have been a beauty. Her head is large, her arms are short, her hair is pulled severly back behind her ears into what may be a curl down her back BUT her eyes are quite nice. When I was young, my brothers and I had many times stood staring at this mystery relative, wondering who she was and why do we have her on our wall. When I reached my later teens, I inherited Miss Aunt-Somebody and she moved to my room, hanging on the wall right by the door.

One day, a couple who were friends of my parents came to visit and were being given a tour of our home. When they entered my room, the woman put her glasses on and stared at the Mystery Woman's miniature. "This is amazing!!!! How did you get a picture of Betsy into an authentic miniature? This is fascinating!" Before anyone had a chance to reply, my younger brother volunteered (lovingly) "That's not Betsy..... That's Aunt Ugly."

No one said a thing, just meandered judiciously out of my bedroom to go see a very beautiful painting in a different room. I don't remember exactly how the "chat" with my brother went, but I was four years older and out-weighed him by a considerable amount. I think there was blood involved.

And Aunt Ugly is still hanging on my wall. Maybe I'm working off some Karma.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The following quote is taken from "Go Tell The Bees I Am Gone," by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 126, 'When I go to sleep at night, I die.' Copyright 2021 by Diana Gabaldon. All rights reserved.

"Let's leave Albert out of it," he said hastily "At least for now."

"Alright," she said agreeably, "Einstein never got it to work, anyway. All I'm saying is, Maybe when you walk into one of those places--- if you have the genetics for it---you, um, die. Physically. You disolve into stardust, if you want to call it that---- and your particles can pass through stone, because they're smaller than the atoms that make up the stones."

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Replies:
- It's a short quote today. This whole conversation between Brianna and Roger gave me the willies. It still does. Taking into account subatomic particles and the principles of physics...."Energy doesn't die, it only transforms," and all that. When I read this the first time, I had shivers running up my back and I got a headache. There is a lot more of this conversation but the past couple of days represents the gist of it. It still makes my head spin backwards. (NT) -- Betsy BFS, Sat, February 24 2024, 11:59:19
  - I agree, Betsy. This was too much for me. I once read The Dancing Wu Li Masters, which is about quantum physics (!?!?!?!?) One thing that I got out of it: when you go deep, deep, deep into subatomic particles, there's nothing there, so we're basically made up of nothing! I When Bree and Roger had this discussion, I remembered that factoid...... (NT) -- Janet, Sun, February 25 2024, 9:06:21
    - Wow! Janet, you are ambitious to pick up a book with THAT title! lol. I do agree that this stuff boggles my brain; and the part where Jamie and Claire discuss “matter changes but never disappears.” (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sun, February 25 2024, 12:19:32
      - Janet, You are a brave woman! That’s quite an undertaking. The reason this discussion made my head spin was because it actually made sense to me. I’ve shied away from quantum physics…. I was pretty sure I’d recognize a word here and there, but that would be it. Bree’s thoughts struck a chord with me. (NT) -- Betsy BFS, Sun, February 25 2024, 20:44:35
QOTD for Friday, 2/23/24 -- Betsy BFS, Fri, February 23 2024, 11:44:32
This is a late post. I did notice nothing was posted, so I am now posting. Late.

I am back in school!! I'm learning how to do all the "stuff" that was on David's plate. I'm NOT on the dean's list. There is a very good reason I don't know anything, but I won't go into it now.

Read this with humor. To me, it's funny...

The latest disaster to take residence on Betsy's List of the Unknown, is the boiler circulation pump not working. Do not groan. It's a lesson I really didn't want to know, but I need to. After three (3) visits and two new parts, the service man, who is the owner of the business, was smuggly explaining everything that was going on to me. Now, I don't usually pull the My Husband Dropped Dead card, but halfway through his diatribe , I stopped him and said "Just stop. I have no idea what you're saying. Boiler's for Dummies is beyond my skill set. My husband dropped dead (and I pantomimed a person , eyes crossed --for effect--hitting the floor in a heap,) and this was his realm.... Sorry I haven't stopped to learn about my boiler. Do not assume I understand one word you're saying." At that point, it finally sunk in that I truly didn't have a clue, he got nice, and explained it all out slowly and in language I understood. I think I may be at the pre-school level now.

Service call number four will be happening as soon as the part arrives. We've been playing Little House on the Prairie for a week. "Little House, etc." is our family's code for SNAFU. I think I saw David, head in his hands, moving it back and forth. I Can't tell if it's shaking in laughter or OMG, Betsy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The following quote is from 'Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone," by Diana Gabaldon. Chapter 126, "When I go to Sleep at night., I die." Copyright 2021, by Diana Gabaldon. All rights reserved.

That's what a ley line IS," she said patiently. "The electromagnetism in the earch runs in parallel bands, the bands alternate in the direction of their magnetic current. Though it's not totally neat and tidy, of course. The diverge and overlap and like that. Haven't I told you this stuff before?"

"Possibly." He abandoned his half-formed romantic intentions, with a sense of regret. "But the ley lines I know about are...I don't know what you'd call them, in terms of classification. Folklore, ancient builder stuff? At least in the British Isles, if you go looking for ancient hill forts and churches that are probably built on much older sites of worship and....well, things like standing stones, you often find that you can draw a straight ... very straight , in most cases, as though it had been surveyed---line through two or three or four such sites. Archeologists call those ley lines---though some fold call them spirit walks, because the dead are thought to....Oh,my God."

A brief, uncontrollable shudder ran through him.

"Goose walking on your grave?" she asked, sympathy slightly marred by a look of satisfaction.

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Replies:
- Nothing wrong with saying, I don’t get it! Glad your plumber took the time and hope the part comes soon. A boiler is a MAJOR appliance but I’ve done some repairs on the washer, dryer and dishwasher that I used to pay for by looking up symptoms on YouTube. I had heard of ley lines but didn’t really get what they were until I read this explanation. Is it Bri to Roger here? (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sat, February 24 2024, 4:51:56
  - Yes. This is Bri and Roger talking about a theory of how some people can go through the stones. The whole discussion made my head blow up. Bri shares a Maybe This Is How it Works with Roger. I did look at You Tube, a trusty reference for almost everything, but it didn't really make sense to me. I can wrap my brain around theories of Time Travel, but boilers make no sense. Kathy, I owe you a letter. I won't go into details here, but it's been on my mind for weeks ?Months? now. (NT) -- Betsy BFS, Sat, February 24 2024, 12:15:15
    - Oh no you don’t. A note was the only way I could give you a hug. ❤️ (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sun, February 25 2024, 12:22:05
- 35 years ago I went on a "crinkle tour" with my mother (average age 68+ and we had an 18 yo on the trip to lower the age!) to England, Ireland, and Scotland. Our tour guide was awesome, and when we were at Stonehenge, she explained about ley lines. When she started there was only about half our group (maybe 15) around her, when she ended there were close to 50 people listening. It was really interesting! And Betsy, my mechanical and technical knowledge is less than stellar, because my husband can do almost anything! (NT) -- Janet, Sat, February 24 2024, 10:35:58
  - You must have had a fabulous trip! I think often, people flock to hear about anything "out there" or gory. Humans. We're a strange lot. (NT) -- Betsy BFS, Sat, February 24 2024, 12:20:35
QOTD for Thursday, 2/22/24 -- Betsy BFS, Wed, February 21 2024, 21:24:01
Happy Thursday, Lallyland!

I seem to have the attention of a gnat these days. It's not quite new of an issue but I think it's worse. As I sit here and look around I can see five laundry baskets, all overflowing (honest) so piled high, they have erupted to the floor. Some are dirty cloths, some are clean, but they have all decided to mingle together and have tea. I have no idea which basket is what; this afternoon, I folded the same T-shirt four times and still don't know which basket is waiting for this shirt to come home. And the washing machine keeps spitting out more clean stuff that should be folded and put in the appropriate basket, if I could figure out what's clean stuff and what's dirty... I honestly believe the endless piles have conspired to play musical chairs together, and I Know I've heard snickering in the bottom at least two of the piles.

There really is an excuse for some of this insanity. Apparently, when I left for a few hours, I had blocked off the kitchen so my precious puppies couldn't get into it but they battled through my blockade and ate: two pounds of butter, all the cat food in the kitty dishes, all of the can of dog kibble, two bananas, one mangled grapefruit which I guess they didn't like, two extra-large yams that were cooling on the counter for their supper, every last bit in the garbage, and two big coffee cans full of compost. After their non-sanctioned snack, both of them threw up in the middle of my bed. Several times. Seeping through two big quilts and two, Two, yes indeed TWO down comforters. Oh the the sheets as well. And one pillow. Queen sized sheets but king size everything else.

The dogs are alive, but I'm not fond of them today.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

The following quote is from "Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone," by Diana Gabaldon, etc. All rights reserved.

"Mmphm," Jamie knew he was defeated, but he wasn't surrendering just yet. "And how d'ye mean to guarantee their good behavior, a bhanamhaighister?"

An inaudible but clear vibration that might have been amusement ran through the older women, though it vanished in an instant when Harriet turned her head to look over at them. When she turned back, her eyes were fixed on me, not Jamie, which gave me a start.

"I suppose your wife could answer that for ye, Laird," she said circumspectly, and let the corner of her mouth tuck in for a moment. Her gaze dropped to Jamie again. "None of the men can cook. But if ye dinna trust what a wife might do to a husband who's taken the house from over her head, and the food out of her bairn's mouths... perhaps ye can imagine what the brothers and sons of those wives might do to him. If ye'd like me to have my lads come and swear that same oath to ye..."

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Replies:
- Oh,no!! We do love our pets but sometimes that is definitely put to the test. Mine knocked over the kitty fountain during a disagreement and splattered everything in the kitchen. Nothing like what your darlings did but woke the house none the less. I was surprised and rather indignant that Jamie let these families stay. Also appalled at the presumption of these ladies. (NT) -- kgp, Thu, February 22 2024, 6:33:02
  - I wasn't bothered by the women's request. Just because one is married to an idiot does't make an idiot yourself. In those times, women were not included in any decision the cabbage-headed men made. Mothers are fiercely protective of there children, and I'm not surprised that they advocated for their families.For me, they put their pride away for the sake of their wee ones. Leaving them homeless was pretty much a death sentence. I had to chuckle at the unspoken ripple of humor that went through the women when Jamie asked the ladies how they could assure their husbands would "behave." (NT) -- Betsy BFS, Fri, February 23 2024, 9:42:40
- Nothing can get me out of bed faster than the sound of a cat hocking up dinner.....but at least I don't find it after the fact! Jamie is showing mercy here; I figured that even though they were against him, they were still "his" to care for. Also, I'm sure he remembered the aftermath of Culloden and all the death and destruction, and wanted to avoid that if he had assurances of good behaviour. (NT) -- Janet, Thu, February 22 2024, 10:44:57
- OMG, Betsy - that is the WORST dog story I ever heard!!! Are they really puppies in age, so you have to expect a bit? But they did every puppy bad thing in one episode!!! It is so good to see you and I know I’m not alone when I say I love your ramblings. So relatable; you remind me of Erma Bombeck. I think Jamie could never turn away women or children no matter what. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, February 22 2024, 14:21:42
  - Kathy in PA, you nailed it! Betsy is so much like Erma Bombeck! I loved her books. (NT) -- DianaH, Fri, February 23 2024, 8:33:03
    - That's quite a compliment and I am humbled. She was a real class act. When she was nearing the end of her life from pancreatic? kidney? disease.....it's kidney. I looked up.... her friends and family urged her to use her fame to jump to the head of the transplant line, but she said No. She'd wait her turn, like everyone else. She did end up getting a transplant, but died of complications. I loved her slant on life! Thank you for the complement. I am humbled. (NT) -- Betsy BFS, Fri, February 23 2024, 9:10:52
QOTD for Wednesday, 2/21/23 -- Betsy BFS, Tue, February 20 2024, 20:56:47
Hello, my wonderful Lally Family,

When I do QOTD and share the absurdities and foibles of my life, I never know what I'm going to write. I just sit and my fingers take off with a mind of their own. I don't trust myself to do that yet. It's been several months since I've done QOTD, so we'll see what happens. Mostly, I want to tell you All how unbelievably wonderful you are. I'm going to post a message on Fraser's Gathering in thanks for all the support you've given me the last six months.

I'm doing QOTD for today. Maybe tomorrow. I never know when I'll come completely undone. I'll do as much as I can.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The following quote is from 'Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone,' by Diana Gabaldon.Copyright 2021, by Diana Gabaldon. All rights reserved.

Harriette MacIlhenny came in with her head up, jaws clenched, and chin trembling. She stopped abruptly before Jamie's table and collapsed onto her knees with a thud, followed by the other wives and half the children, spilling out into the hallway, all looking bewildered but obedient.

"We have come to beg thy mercy, Laird," she said, bowing so low that she spoke to the floor. "Not for ourselves, but for our bairns."

"Did your husbands put ye up to this?" Jamie demanded.. "Get yourselves up, for God's sake."

"No, Laird," Harriet said. She rose, slowly, but her hands were pressed so hard together that the knuckles and nails showed white. "Our husbands forbade us to come to ye; and said they would beat us if we stirred a foot out of doors. The gomerels would sacrifice us and the bairns for the sake of their pride --but... we came anyway."

This passage reminds me of several conversations I had with David. It went sort of like this: "David, what do you think about (insert almost anything you want."
"Why do you bother to ask me what I think? You're going to do just what you want anyway." "Well, yes. I am. But there was a chance you'd say something close to my plans and it would seem like we collaborated." Insert that Scottish noise Jamie, and William, make.

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Replies:
- Betsy, it is so wonderful to "see" you. I think of you every time I'm on the LOL Boards. <3 (NT) -- DianaH, Wed, February 21 2024, 10:45:05
- Betsy, glad you are here today. I think of you often, and send prayers your way regularly. We enjoy it whatever/whenever you post In these few, simple, lines, Diana illuminates the fragile grasp on survival the people on the Ridge have, even in the best of times. (NT) -- Janet, Wed, February 21 2024, 11:09:40
QOTD for Saturday, February 17, 2024 -- CindyG, Fri, February 16 2024, 16:54:07
The following quote is from Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 26, “The Laird’s Return.” Copyright ©️1991 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“‘Dinna worry for Murtagh. There’s a canty wee bird can mind for himself.’
‘Canty? Murtagh?’ I knew the word meant “cheerful,” which seemed incongruous to a degree. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile. Have you?’
‘Oh, aye. At least twice.’
‘How long have you known him?’
‘Twenty-three years. He’s my godfather.’
‘Oh. Well, that explains a bit. I didn’t think he’d bother on my account.’
Jamie patted my leg. ‘Of course he would. He likes you.’
‘I’ll take your word for it.’”

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Replies:
- Love your quotes this week! I wish Murtagh didn't go gak at Culloden, he'd be a riot on the Ridge! Especially with William. (NT) -- Janet, Sat, February 17 2024, 11:22:31
  - I know! Can you imagine what he’d do when William gave Jamie attitude?! I think of canty as being clever, and he sure was. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sat, February 17 2024, 16:23:24
QOTD for Friday, February 16, 2024 -- CindyG, Thu, February 15 2024, 19:43:08
The following quote is from Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 24, “By the Pricking of My Thumbs.” Copyright ©️1991 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“I hastily turned toward the nearest face, as an antidote to such disturbing thoughts. It happened to be Murtagh’s. Well, at least he looked like neither of the men who haunted my thoughts. Short, slightly built but sinewy as a gibbon, with long arms that reinforced the simian resemblance, he had a low brow and narrow jaw that for some reason made me think of cave dwellers and pictures of Early Man shown in some of Frank’s texts. Not a Neanderthal, though. A Pict. That was it. There was something very durable about the small clansman that reminded me of the weathered, patterned stones, ancient even now, that stood their implacable guard over crossroads and burial grounds.”

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Replies:
- Trying to think of an actor who would fit this description (NT) -- kgp, Fri, February 16 2024, 5:40:48
  - Way back……. Hill Street Blues - I think his name was Mick? (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Fri, February 16 2024, 9:13:08
    - Good call, Kathy in PA! Mick would be good - small, tough, used to go undercover a lot as a homeless person, so often scruffy. (NT) -- DianaH, Fri, February 16 2024, 9:44:55
- Re-reading this passage brings to mind in Voyager when Claire & Joe are looking at the bones in a box labeled "Fresh Pict Corn." Clever little nudge there, DG! (NT) -- DianaH, Fri, February 16 2024, 9:42:58
QOTD for Thursday, February 15, 2024 -- CindyG, Wed, February 14 2024, 19:33:28
The following quote is from Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 15, “Revelations of the Bridal Chamber.” Copyright ©️1991 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“‘What are you doing?’ he asked, shocked.
‘Just what it looks like. Hold still.’ After a few moments, I began to use my teeth, pressing progressively harder until he drew in his breath with a sharp hiss. I stopped.
‘Did I hurt you?’ I asked.
‘Yes. A little.’ He sounded half-strangled.
‘Do you want me to stop?’
‘No!’
I went on, being deliberately rough, until he suddenly convulsed, with a groan that sounded as though I had torn his heart out by the roots. He lay back, quivering and breathing heavily. He muttered something in Gaelic, eyes closed.
‘What did you say?’
‘I said,’ he answered, opening his eyes, ‘I thought my heart was going to burst.’
I grinned, pleased with myself. ‘Oh, Murtagh and company didn’t tell you about that, either?’
‘Aye, they did. That was one of the things I didn’t believe.’”

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Replies:
- Totally laughing out loud. A sweet boy/man could NOT imagine oral sex. He just realized you don’t have to do it like horses - this has been quite a night!! (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, February 15 2024, 7:51:05
- Poor, sweet manny - what an education! (NT) -- kgp, Fri, February 16 2024, 5:26:10
QOTD for Wednesday, February 14, 2024 -- CindyG, Tue, February 13 2024, 19:43:43
The following quote is from Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 15, “Revelations of the Bridal Chamber.” Copyright ©️1991 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“‘I want to ask ye something,’ he said, running a hand down the length of my back.
‘What’s that?’
‘Did ye like it?’ he said, a little shyly.
‘Yes, I did,’I said, quite honestly.
‘Oh. I thought ye did, though Murtagh told me that women generally do not care for it, so I should finish as soon as I could.’
‘What would Murtagh know about it?’ I said indignantly. ‘The slower the better, as far as most women are concerned.’ Jamie chuckled again.
‘Well, you’d know better than Murtagh.’”

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Replies:
- Well Murtagh, that doesn't say much for YOUR prowess, does it??? LOL!! (NT) -- DianaH, Wed, February 14 2024, 9:14:35
  - As much as I love Murtagh, it’s hard to think of him as a ladies’ man! (NT) -- CindyG, Wed, February 14 2024, 10:36:16
    - I agree. He wasn’t romantic except for unrequited love of Ellen. But you couldn’t ask for a better person to have your back. The show’s line of him and Jocasta as lovers was way off for me. But I understand there’s not time to develop his character like in the books so they had to go for physical attraction, which Duncan has in spades. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Wed, February 14 2024, 11:11:00
      - It's just a thought, but I wonder if Murtagh loving Ellen gave him a shield against a permanent attachment to another woman. Being unmarried would be unusual. John used his love of Jamie to keep Percy at arm's length, giving him a way to keep himself from committing to that relationship - I wonder if Percy would have become such a git if he had. (NT) -- kgp, Wed, February 14 2024, 18:54:24
    - IDK, I somehow had a feeling he was with the girls a bit, just didn't want a permanent relationship if he couldn't have Ellen... (NT) -- Janet, Thu, February 15 2024, 11:05:59
QOTD for Tuesday, February 13, 2024 -- CindyG, Mon, February 12 2024, 19:20:26
The following quote is from Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 14, “A Marriage Takes Place.” Copyright ©️1991 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“After the first silence, the rest of those in the taproom became vocal in their admiration, and even Murtagh allowed himself a small smile, nodding in satisfaction at the results of his efforts. And who appointed you fashion editor? I thought disagreeably. Still, I had to admit that he was responsible for my not marrying in grey serge.”

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Replies:
- That was so sweet. At this point I think it was more for Jamie and Ellen but he did come to love Claire. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, February 13 2024, 8:56:10
  - Good point, he'd want Ellen to be happy with her son's marriage, but I did think he wanted Claire to feel a bit better about it as well. (NT) -- kgp, Tue, February 13 2024, 12:58:34
QOTD for Monday, February 12, 2024 -- CindyG, Sun, February 11 2024, 18:20:49
The following quote is from Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 3, “The Man in the Woods.” Copyright ©️1991 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“I thought I had not been out for long; I showed no symptoms of concussion or other ill effects from the blow, save a sore patch on the base of my skull. My captor, a man of few words, responded to my questions, demands and acerbic remarks alike with the all-purpose Scottish noise which can best be rendered phonetically as ‘ Mmmmphm’. Had I been in any doubt as to his nationality, that sound alone would have been sufficient to remove it.”

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Replies:
- I never get tired of going back to the beginning of this story! Thanks, CindyG! (NT) -- DianaH, Mon, February 12 2024, 10:12:35
- I've yet to hear a current Scotsman make this sound. I'll have to pay better attention the next time. (NT) -- kgp, Mon, February 12 2024, 10:54:47
- I think Murtagh says that more than anything else- and he doesn’t say much at all but he’s very expressive. Everybody would be lucky to have a Murtagh (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, February 13 2024, 8:54:08
QOTD for Sunday, February 11, 2024 -- CindyG, Sat, February 10 2024, 22:41:49
The following quote is from Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 3, “The Man in the Woods.” Copyright ©️1991 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“There was a sudden whoosh from above, followed immediately by a blur before my eyes and a dull thud. Captain Randall was on the ground at my feet, under a heaving mass that looked like a bundle of old plaid rags. A brown, rocklike fist rose out of the mass and descended with considerable force, meeting decisively with some bony protuberance, by the sound of the resultant crack. The Captain’s struggling legs, shiny in tall brown boots, relaxed quite suddenly.
I found myself staring into a pair of sharp black eyes. The sinewy hand that had temporarily distracted the Captain’s unwelcome attentions was attached like a limpet to my forearm.
‘And who the hell are you?’ I said in astonishment. My rescuer, if I cared to call him that, was some inches shorter than I and sparely built, but the bare arms protruding from the ragged shirt were knotted with muscle and his whole frame gave the impression of being made of some resilient material such as bedsprings. No beauty, either, with a pockmarked skin, low brow, and narrow jaw.”

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Replies:
- Love this introduction...and the further description of Murtagh throughout the book! (NT) -- Janet, Sun, February 11 2024, 10:13:02
  - TV Murtagh looked nothing like this! (NT) -- DianaH, Mon, February 12 2024, 10:11:21
    - And that's why I don't watch the TV program...... (NT) -- Janet, Mon, February 12 2024, 10:48:21
      - They’re somehow separate in my mind. Most of the characters don’t look like “my” characters and some are really jarring. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, February 13 2024, 8:50:52
QOTD for Friday, February 9, 2024 -- kgp, Fri, February 09 2024, 6:36:42
The following quotation is from Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved Chapter 139 Dreams of Glory

“Ken, When ye fight, mostly it’s just hard work. Ye get tired. Your sword’s so heavy ye think ye canna lift it one more time - but ye do, of course.” He stretched, flexing his left arm and turning it, watching the play of light over the sun-bleached hairs and deep-cut muscle. “It’s hot - or it’s freezing - and either way, ye just want to go and be somewhere else. Ye’re scairt or ye’re too busy to be scairt until it’s over, and then ye shake because of what ye’ve just been doing . . . “ He shook his head hard at this, dislodging the thoughts.

“Not this time. Once in a while, something comes over ye - the red thing, is what I’ve always called it.” He glanced at me, almost shyly. “I had it - well, I was far beyond that - when I charged the field at Culloden, This time, though, - “ He ran a hand slowly through his hair. “ In the dream . . . it was different. I wasna afraid at all, nor tired - do ye ever sweat in your dreams, Sassenach?”

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QOTD for Tuesday, February 6, 2024 -- kgp, Tue, February 06 2024, 7:42:48
The following quotation is from Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved Chapter 139 Dreams of Glory

He didn’t move, but his body seemed to flow, the faint glow of the smoored fire shifting on his skin as he relaxed, hair by hair, his breathing slowing.

I relaxed a little, too, in response, though I still watched him warily. It wasn’t a Wentworth dream - he wasn’t sweating; I could almost literally smell fear and blood on him when he woke from those. They came rarely - but were terrible when they did come.

Battlefield? Perhaps; I hoped so. Some of those were worse than others, but he usually came back from a dream of battle fairly quickly and would let me cradle him in my arms and gentle him back to sleep. I longed to do it now. An ember cracked on the hearth behind me, and the tiny spurt of sparks lit his face for an instant, surprising me. He looked . . . peaceful, his eyes dark-wide and fixed on something he could still see.

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Replies:
- PTSD and not going to be recognized, understood or helped for 250 years. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, February 08 2024, 9:24:10
QOTD for Thursday, February 8, 2024 -- kgp, Thu, February 08 2024, 8:29:38
The following quotation is from Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved Chapter 139 Dreams of Glory

“Did you see Murtagh?”

“Aye, I did.” The tone of surprise in his voice deepened, and his hand stilled on my back. “He was with me, by me. But I could see his face; it shone like the sun.”

This description of his late godfather was more than peculiar; Murtagh had been one of the more dour specimens of Scottish manhood ever produced in the Highlands.

“He was . . . happy?” I ventured doubtfully. I couldn’t imagine anyone who’d set foot on Culloden moor that day had cracked so much as a smile - likely not even the Duke of Cumberland.

“Oh, more than happy, Sassenach - filled wi’ joy.” He let go of me thank and glanced down into my face. “We all were.”

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Replies:
- It makes me think they were all in heaven already but this is one of the times Jamie escaped death. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, February 08 2024, 9:21:38
QOTD for Wednesday, February 7, 2024 -- kgp, Wed, February 07 2024, 6:58:37
The following quotation is from Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved Chapter 139 Dreams of Glory

“It’s all right, Sassenach,” he said into my hair. “I’m not . . . It’s all right.”

His voice sounded odd, almost puzzled. But he meant it; he was all right. He rubbed my back gently between the shoulder blades and I gingerly relaxed a little. He was very warm, despite the chill, and the clinical part of my mind checked him quickly - no shivering, no flinching . . . his breathing was quite normal and so was his heart rate, easily perceptible against my breast.

“Do you . . . can you tell me about it?” I said, drawing back after a bit. Sometimes he could, and it seemed to help. More often, he couldn’t, and would just shake until the dream let go its grip on his mind and let him turn away.

“I don’t know,” he said, the note of surprise still in his voice. “I mean - it was Culloden, but . . . it was different.”

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Replies:
- They, Jamie in particular, have endured such violent, traumatic experiences in life, it's a wonder they don't have nightmares more often. (NT) -- DianaH, Wed, February 07 2024, 7:50:24
  - They might but not have anyone to talk to about it in those days. Jamie was lucky that Claire saw most of his terrors along with him and could understand. Plus her modern mentality of masculinity and communication between the sexes! I hate realistic nightmares, and don’t have them very often thank God. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, February 08 2024, 9:19:14
QOTD for Thursday 1 February 2024 -- JudithONH, Wed, January 31 2024, 22:08:24
The following quote is from An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 59, “Battle of Bennington,” Copyright 2009 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“’What?’ said William, disbelieving. Whatever the man shouting had meant, his exhortation had a marked effect, for an enormous number of rebels came boiling out of the trees, headed at a mad run for the guns. The soldiers minding the guns promptly fled, and so did a good many of the others.
The rebels were making short work of the rest, and William had just settled down grimly to do what he could before they got him, when two Indians came springing over the rolling ground, seized him under the arms, and, yanking him to his feet, propelled him rapidly away.
Which was how Lieutenant Ellesmere found himself once more cast in the role of Cassandra, reporting the debacle at Bennington to General Burgoyne. Men killed and wounded, guns lost – and not a single cow to be shown for it.”

William's sortie was to get as many comestibles, including cattle, from the Rebels. Somehow it went awry, and there he was in front of General Burgoyne...I obviously need a reread, but wonder if the Indians had anything to do with Ian. I'll find out...

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Replies:
- I’m pretty sure it was because of Ian too. As much as William dislikes him, Ian has a way of turning up when William really needs help. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Fri, February 02 2024, 16:06:38
- He was in command of a foraging party near VT. There were Burgoyne's Indians in that party. He had been discussing cooking pork with apples with one of the Hessian soldiers when the German was shot mid-recipe. (NT) -- kgp, Wed, February 07 2024, 7:04:57
QOTD for Friday 2 February 2024 -- JudithONH, Fri, February 02 2024, 21:51:06
The following quote is from An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 72, “The Feast of All Saints,” Copyright 2009 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“Buccleigh stared at him, stubbled face gone quite blank. He blinked once or twice, glanced at Brianna, who nodded, then returned his stare to Roger, carefully scrutinizing his face.
‘Look at his eyes,’ Brianna said helpfully. ‘Shall I bring you a mirror?’
Buccleigh’s mouth opened as though to answer, but he found no words and shook his head as though dislodginig flies. He picked up his cup, stared into it for a moment as though astonished to find it empty, and set it down. Then looked at Brianna.
‘Ye wouldna have anything in the house stronger than coffee, would ye, _a bhana-mhaighstir?_.”

Yes, I think the house has something stronger than coffee... interesting how Buccleigh comes to understand who and what he is...and is open minded enough to accept it!

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Replies:
- Might ask this at the local diner :D (NT) -- kgp, Wed, February 07 2024, 7:01:32
QOTD for Saturday 3 February 2024 -- JudithONH, Fri, February 02 2024, 21:54:31
The following quote is from An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 86, “Valley Forge,” Copyright 2009 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“’Suitable’ turned out to be one Colenso Baragwanath, a stunted youth from Cornwall who had come with Howe’s troops as a stable-boy. He did know horses, William would give him that.
There were four horses and a pack mule, this last laden with sides of pork, four or five fat turkeys, a bag of rough-skinned potatoes, another of turnips, and a large keg of cider.
‘If conditions there are half as bad as I think they are,’ his father had told him, while overseeing the loading of the mule, ‘the commander would lend you the services of half a battalion in exchange for this, let alone a surgeon.’
‘Thank you, Papa,’ he said again, and swung into his saddle, his new captain’s gorget about his neck and a white flag of truce folded neatly into his saddlebag.”

Once again, William is on a mission to the rebel troops. Here's hoping he can secure the aid of Denny in this need.

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Replies:
- I like Colenso. I hope he survives the war and we see him again; maybe as a groom at Mt Josiah. (NT) -- kgp, Wed, February 07 2024, 6:59:52
QOTD for Monday, February 5, 2024 -- kgp, Mon, February 05 2024, 6:10:57
The following quotation is from Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved Chapter 139 Dreams of Glory

Fraser’s Ridge September 4, 1780

I was having the delightful sort of dream where you realize that you’re asleep and are enjoying it extremely. I was warm, bonelessly relaxed, and my mind was an exquisite blank. I was just beginning to sink down through this cloudy layer of bliss to the deeper realms of unconsciousness when a violent movement of the mattress under me jerked me into instant alertness.

By reflex, I rolled onto my side and reached for Jamie. I hadn’t achieved the state of conscious thought yet, but my synapses had already drawn their own conclusions. He was still in bed, so we weren’t under attack and the house wasn’t afire. I heard nothing but his rapid breathing; the children were all right and no one had broken in. Ergo . . . it was his own dream that had awakened him.

This thought penetrated into the conscious part of my mind just as my hand touched his shoulder. He drew back, but not with the violent recoil he usually showed if I touched him too suddenly after a bad dream. He was awake then; he knew it was me. Thank God for that, I thought, and drew a deep breath of my own.

“Jamie?” I said softly. My eyes were dark-adapted already; I could see him, half curled beside me, tense, facing me.

“Dinna touch me, Sassenach,” he said, just as softly. “Not yet. Let it pass.” He’d gone to bed in a nightshirt; the room was still chilly. But he was naked now. When had he taken it off? And why?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An extra long one as I missed yesterday.

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QOTD for Wednesday 31 January 2024 -- JudithONH, Wed, January 31 2024, 9:42:22
The following quote is from An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 41, “Shelter From the Storm,” Copyright 2009 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“He woke suddenly, panting and sweating, aware that the pain in his guts was real. It bit with a sharp cramp, and he pulled up his legs and rolled onto his side an instant before the ax struck the floorboards where his head had just been.
He let out a tremendous fart and rolled in blind panic toward the dark figure struggling to free the ax from the wood. He struck Johnson’s legs, grabbed them, and yanked. The man fell on him with a curse and grabbed him by the throat. William punched and thrashed at his opponent, but the hands on his throat clung like grim death, and his vision darkened and flashed with colored lights.
There was screaming going on somewhere nearby. More by instinct than plan, William suddenly lunged forward striking Johnson in the face with his forehead. It hurt, but the death grip on his throat relaxed, and he wrenched loose and rolled over, scrambling to his feet.”

I think this incident and trip deepened the respect between William and Ian. I so enjoy watching their friendship grow.

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Replies:
- Isn't this with Rachel and Denny. They stop for the night with this awful couple and sketchy stew for dinner. William kills Johnson with his own axe, then runs to the privy. (NT) -- kgp, Wed, January 31 2024, 11:47:18
  - Oh, you're right! I knew Rachel was there and I misremembered it was Ian. Thanks!!! Definitely REREAD time for me! (NT) -- JudithONH, Wed, January 31 2024, 13:11:38
- This was such a creepy part. Remember the woman had a forked tongue? They portrayed this very closely in the series. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Wed, January 31 2024, 16:54:14
QOTD for Tuesday 30 January 2024 -- JudithONH, Tue, January 30 2024, 10:12:47
The following quote is from An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 31, “A Guided Tour Through the Chambers of the Heart,” Copyright 2009 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“’Surely, sir,’ Jamie said, striving for reasonableness, ‘ye canna mean to kill a wounded enemy – one in uniform, taken under his own flag, and a man who has surrendered himself to ye. That couldna be condoned by any honorable man.’
Hickman drew himself up, going puce.
‘Are you impugning my honor, sir?’
I saw the muscles in Jamie’s neck and shoulders tense, but before he could speak, Ian stepped up beside him, shoulder to shoulder.
‘Aye, he is. So am I.’
Rollo, his fur still sticking up in wet spikes, growled and rolled back his black lips, showing most of his teeth in token support of this opinion.”

I love the way Ian has Jamie's back, and Rollo has both of theirs. Reminds me of Jamie and Dougal fighting side by side.

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Replies:
- I had to read this section a few times to keep all the characters straight. I worried for Rollo the whole time as well as on which ship has Claire left her skirt! (NT) -- kgp, Tue, January 30 2024, 14:09:12
  - I often have to read sections twice or more to keep all the characters straight - especially in the later books when so many new ones are introduced. I have completely forgotten about Claire leaving her skirt on a ship ... was it when she went overboard with the help of the Goat Lady to escape from being surgeon on the British ship? (NT) -- JudithONH, Tue, January 30 2024, 15:44:56
    - That was in Voyager, Claire ends up with Father Fogden. In Echo, they are trying to get to Scotland on the Teal, Jamie and Ian are pressed by a Naval Cutter captained by Stebbings, Claire goes over the rail so she won't be separated from them but Rollo is left on the Teal. The Cutter (Pitt? Asp?) is attacked by Hickman's crew on the Asp? Pitt? and hit below the waterline. Everyone shifts boats, . . . It's very confusing. Now I need to read it again. :D Stebbings is aboard the Teal so Hickman is persuaded to go after that and incidentely rescue Rollo and The family plus Rollo ends up in Fraser's Irregulars at Fort Ticonderoga. (NT) -- kgp, Wed, January 31 2024, 11:45:12
- I agree. Loyalty is a big theme through the books. It’s earned, but once you’ve got it I bet the works just seems safer. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Wed, January 31 2024, 9:29:40
QOTD for Monday 29 January 2024 -- JudithONH, Sun, January 28 2024, 17:24:48
The following quote is from An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 21, “The Minister’s Cat,” Copyright 2009 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“It had been a couple of months before they left the Ridge. Unable to sleep one night, he’d gone out into the woods, and roaming restlessly to and fro, had encountered Claire, kneeling in a hollow full of white flowers, their shapes like a mist around her.
He’d just sat down then and watched her at her gathering, as she broke stems and stripped leaves into her basket. …
‘Most plants, though, are troubled by daylight insects, and so they begin to secrete their useful compounds at dawn; the concentration rises as the day waxes – but then, when the sun gets too hot, some of the oils will begin to vaporize from the leaves, and the plant will stop producing them. So most of the very aromatic plants, you pick in the late morning. And so the shamans and the herbalists tell their apprentices to take one plan in the dark of the moon and another at midday – thus making it a superstition, hmm?’ Her voice was rather dry, but still amused.”

Claire never passes up a teachable moment! :-)

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Replies:
- Thanks goodness, because we all learn these "fun facts!" (NT) -- DianaH, Mon, January 29 2024, 10:20:48
- I love the plant ones especially but I have learned a LOT about a lot of things with Diana’s gentle teaching. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Wed, January 31 2024, 9:31:27
As well, we learned of the passing Hugh, DH of Kate Smith (LOLKate). Lallyhugs and Blessings to all the family. Kate and Hugh lived in Australia, are originally from Scotland. -- JudithONH, Sun, January 28 2024, 9:51:06
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Replies:
- Hugs and prayers for comfort for everyone missing loved ones. (NT) -- kgp, Sun, January 28 2024, 11:11:29
QOTD for Sunday 28 January 2024 -- JudithONH, Sat, January 27 2024, 18:25:54
Here we go again…sorry, no theme this week either, just something from each page (126, 226, 326, etc.). There is always something rich when I do these silly choices, and I do remember most of this book. I must have re-read it a time or two. 😊 Enjoy!

The following quote is from An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 13, “Unrest,” Copyright 2009 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“—but he wondered suddenly whether he might find a wife in Scotland.
He couldn’t. Could he? Would Bug be able to follow him so far? Maybe he’s already dead, he thought again, and shifted a bit. Rollo grumbled in his throat, but, recognizing the signs, shuffled off him and curled up a little distance away.
His family would be there. Surrounded by the Murrays, surely he – and a wife – would be safe. It was simple to lurk and steal through the dense woods here in the mountains – not nearly so simple in the Highlands, where every eye was sharp and no stranger passed unnoticed.”

I loved Ian's thought process here...it goes on to say that surely Jenny could find someone who would marry Ian, even looking like a Mohawk... And how no way could Bug be inconspicuous in the Highlands.

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Replies:
- I'm amused by Rollo's reaction. "Stop fashing. I'm going to sleep over here." 😆 What if Jenny did try to get him a wife? Would he stay in Scotland, always thinking of what might have been with Rachel? Now we know what was happening at Lallybroch at the time, but I enjoy being privy to the thoughts. (NT) -- kgp, Sun, January 28 2024, 7:38:42
  - After all Ian had experienced in the new world, I doubt he could have been at ease in Scotland, even with Highland cattle raids and all. It's as well that he came back to Fraser's Ridge (and Rachel!). (NT) -- JudithONH, Sun, January 28 2024, 9:48:44
Yesterday we learned of the passing of one of our own Lady of Lallybroch, LindaT. Her sharp wit and compassion for others will be remembered fondly. Sending love and comfort to her family and friends. -- kgp, Sun, January 28 2024, 6:18:54
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QOTD for Saturday 27 January 2024 -- JudithONH, Sat, January 27 2024, 10:04:34
I had to end the week with a little bit of J&C intimacy:

The following quote is from Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 131, “Thunderstorms On the Ridge,’ Copyright 2021 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“I wasn’t sure whether the adrenaline of battle just didn’t diffuse immediately, the recent nearness of death inducing a strong need to reproduce – or whether the desire for sex merely expressed a need to reassure oneself that one was still alive and in reasonable working order. Regardless, I had to admit that it had a settling effect.
I shook and patted myself back into some sort of order, looked at my reflection in the glass, then shook my head, and wound my hair up into a makeshift bun, precariously fastened by a couple of quills stolen from Jamie’s desk as I passed the study, I could hear voices in the kitchen, and one of them was Ian’s, which lifted my heart.
He and Totis were sitting at the table, eating bread and honey, conversing with Fanny and Agnes in a mélange of languages: I recognized English, Gaelic, and what I assumed to be Mohawk, plus a few words of French and a certain amount of sign language regarding food.

I love all the blended family interactions in Bees. Happy Weekend and I'll see you again next week!

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Replies:
- Open hearts and hearths. I'd love to be sitting around the kitchen table with them. (NT) -- kgp, Sat, January 27 2024, 14:48:52
  - Me too! (NT) -- JudithONH, Sat, January 27 2024, 17:55:06
QOTD for Friday 26 January 2024 -- JudithONH, Fri, January 26 2024, 13:29:38
The following quote is from Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 112, “We Met On The Level…,” Copyright 2021 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

He grunted and shifted his weight uneasily, but then settled again and took a cautious breath.
‘Aye. Well, by the time I could tell for sure where I was, I was close to Tom MacLeod’s place – did Gillebride say Tom’s nose is broken? – and I thought I’d best take refuge there. So I was sloggin’ through the mud and bushes, trying to keep track of where I was by what I could see when the lightning went, and all of a sudden there was a thunderclap that split the sky and a monstrous flash that left me blind, and the rain turned to poundin’ hail, just like that –‘ He snapped his fingers. ‘So I pulled my plaid over my head to shield it, and next thing I ken, the captain’s run into me in the dark. Only I didna ken who it was, and neither did he, and then the lightning went again and I went for my pistol and he went for his cutlass and …’ He waved a hand at the half-sewn gash in his chest.”

Once again, Claire is stitching her man up...He must look like a patchwork quilt by now! Happy Friday!

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Replies:
- I recently had to get stitches and all I could think about was Claire doing it so often and so easily. I had to take my mind off myself because I’m a baby when it comes to my medical stuff; I’m lucky to not need the Dr very often. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Fri, January 26 2024, 15:13:18
- Or something from a Tim Burton film, 😆. I was wondering how many lives he has left. (NT) -- kgp, Sat, January 27 2024, 6:10:17
  - Didn’t they count that once because of the palm reader in France? I forget if they decided how many lives he has left. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sat, January 27 2024, 6:45:49
    - 1)He was hit in the head with an axe. 2) BJR and trying to die at the Abbey 3) Culloden 4) the snake bite 5) Kings Mountain. any others? (NT) -- kgp, Sat, January 27 2024, 14:20:37
QOTD for Thursday 25 January 2024 -- JudithONH, Thu, January 25 2024, 9:53:33
The following quote is from Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 88, “In Which Things Do Not Add Up,” Copyright 2021 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“Gabriel licked his lips and huffed out a great white sigh.
‘What are we to do, then, Silvia?’ he said, plainly struggling for calm. ‘Thee knows the girls want to be with me as much as I wish to be with them. Whatever thee thinks of me at present – how can thee be so heartless as to take them from me?’
‘As for thee, I expect thy other children will comfort thee,’ Silvia said, in as nasty a tone as Ian had ever heard from her. She rubbed a hand over her face, hard, also striving for calm. ‘No. Thee is right in that, at least. I do know how much they love thee and I will never say anything to them that would blacken thee in their eyes. I think thee should tell them, though, about thy children here. They will understand that, but they will not understand why thee would keep the truth from them – and they are bound to find out sooner or later, though not from me.’”

I confess this is one thread to Bees that I have no memory of at all. In typing it out, I wonder what the purpose of this story line is. Does anyone have any thoughts or memories of that?

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Replies:
- Ian is bringing back the little family that helped Jamie when his back stiffened up in New York; the husband had left/been taken by Indians, and she had to resort to prostitution to put hood on the table. She had 3 girls. Jamie shared what food he had with him when his back went out, then took care of a man that had started to beat her.....when Ian went back Jamie asked him to find them and bring them to the Ridge. (NT) -- Janet, Thu, January 25 2024, 10:44:22
  - Thank you, Janet! (NT) -- JudithONH, Thu, January 25 2024, 12:50:17
    - Was Gabriel her husband? Did he start another family? I remember when she helped Jamie but I don’t remember this part. Did she end up on the Ridge with Bobby? (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, January 25 2024, 13:55:39
      - Yes, they met up with Gabriel, her husband, who had made no attempt to return to Silvia and the girls. He started a new family elsewhere, but degraded Silvia for how she managed to keep them all alive and fed. He wanted to keep the girls with him. Mrs. Hardiman & her 3 girls went back to the Ridge, where she ended up with Bobby. (NT) -- DianaH, Thu, January 25 2024, 14:09:52
        
        It’s all coming back to me now………. Lol. Thanks! (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Fri, January 26 2024, 5:15:03
        Gabriel is trash. Sylvia has a lot of class saying she won't say anything against him irvturn her daughters against him. I'm glad she divorced him. (NT) -- kgp, Fri, January 26 2024, 12:09:28
QOTD for Wednesday 24 January 2024 -- JudithONH, Tue, January 23 2024, 18:38:19
The following quote is from Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 65, “Green Grow the Rushes, O!” Copyright 2021 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“’It’s the lassie who came to fetch ye to her mother’s childbed,’ he said. ‘Agnes Cloudtree, was it?’

“Are you sure?’ I squinted, too, but it didn’t help much; the figure remained a blur of brown and white against the darker dirt of the road. A stab of fear went through my heart, though, at the name “Cloudtree.” I’d thought often of the twins I’d delivered, of their mother’s stoic heroism…and the very peculiar circumstance of that birth; a circumstance made the more peculiar by the simplicity of it. I could feel the sense of that small body in my hands now. Nothing dramatic; no tingling or glowing. Just the sure and certain knowledge of life.”

This is another one where I draw a memory blank. I do love that Claire has such vivid memories of most, if not all, of her medical interventions.

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Replies:
- Ithink Claire has such vivid memories of her cases because she is so connected to them - the patient, the surroundings, the circumstances. (NT) -- DianaH, Wed, January 24 2024, 8:00:01
  - I can’t remember either but I love reading these snippets because I know the characters. I think you’re right, Diana - she remembers because she always was totally involved. It drove me crazy sometimes when I thought she was wasting her time on a worthless shite. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Wed, January 24 2024, 9:58:31
- Agnes came to get Claire against her step-father's wishes. She got smacked for bringing the Frasers. Claire delivered twins and initially thought the girl dead, but it clung to life. Claire felt the life flickering in the baby. Agnes was very brave. (NT) -- kgp, Wed, January 24 2024, 15:36:59
  - Thanks for the reminder...now it's coming back. (NT) -- JudithONH, Thu, January 25 2024, 9:49:54
    - Yes! Thank you - for Thursday’s reminder too! It’s nice to nudge the brain with these forgotten parts. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, January 25 2024, 13:57:57
QOTD for Tuesday 23 January 2024 -- JudithONH, Mon, January 22 2024, 22:07:18
The following quote is from Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 47, “Tace Is the Latin for a Candle,” Copyright 2021 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“What with one thing and another, though, he didn’t encounter a conscious Hal until late the next afternoon, following a harrowing tea party at the home of a Mrs. Tina Anderson, who, while herself a tall, statuesque blond beauty possessed of great charm, was also possessed of a horde of chattering friends who had descended on him en masse, affectionately clinging to his sleeve or fingering his gold braid while expressing their gratitude for the army’s presence and their admiration of the courageous soldiers who were saving them -apparently- from mass rapine.
‘It was something like being pecked to death by a flock of small parrots,’ he told Hal. ‘Screeching, and feathers everywhere.’”

I love the way the first paragraph is one long sentence which I read very quickly, and it seemed to me to mimic the “flock of small parrots” in their intense desire to gain John’s attention.

Diana never misses an angle to illustrate her point! Cheers!

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Replies:
- All the ladies go nuts for Lord John, as do I. ❤️ And he’s so sweet, even if they seem like a flock of parrots. Lol. Diana sure can paint a scene. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, January 23 2024, 18:09:33
- What was that comment - Making us fall in love with a fictional man is one thing, but making us fall in love with a gay fictional man is just showing off. (NT) -- kgp, Wed, January 24 2024, 15:38:59
QOTD for week of January 21, 2024 -- JudithONH, Sun, January 21 2024, 11:07:06
Hi! Does anyone know if someone signed up for QOTD for this week? I signed up for week of Jan. 28 and have my quotes ready. I'm happy to share them this week if no one else has signed up. Thanks! JudithONH
I also emailed the Forum Admin about this.

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Replies:
- Hi Judith - no one has signed up for this week. If you're ready to post, please go ahead. (NT) -- kgp, Sun, January 21 2024, 19:27:36
  - Okay, KGP - will do this week and I'll do next week as promised as well. Thanks! (NT) -- JudithONH, Sun, January 21 2024, 21:56:43
    - My hero!! (NT) -- kgp, Mon, January 22 2024, 17:59:04
QOTD for week of January 21, 2024 -- JudithONH, Sun, January 21 2024, 22:03:32
Since I got the go-ahead to do QOTD this week, I will post Sunday and Monday quotes here - so it will be a little long.

QOTD for Sunday 28 January 2024

I only read this book once, almost 3 years ago now, and in choosing the quotes, I didn’t remember much of it. I just chose consecutively numbered pages (123, 234, 345, etc. and selected something from those pages. What I found piqued my interest, so I guess it’s time for a reread. Enjoy!

The following quote is from Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 14, “Mon Cher Petit Ami,” Copyright 2021 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“Gradually, as people became full, conversation began again, but in a subdued fashion. Finally, John Quincy pushed away his empty tin plate with a deep sigh of repletion and gazed benignly round the table.
‘Missus Fraser, Missus MacKenzie, Missus Murray, Missus Higgins…y’all done us right well tonight. I ain’t et that much at one sittin’ since last Christmas.’
‘It was our pleasure,’ I assured him. ‘I haven’t seen anyone eat that much since last Christmas.’
I thought I heard a muffled snigger behind me, but I ignored it.
‘So long as we’ve a crust in the house, ye’ll always eat with us man,’ Jamie told him. ‘And drink, I hope?’ he added, producing a full bottle of something undoubtedly alcoholic from under his bench.
‘I wouldn’t say no, Mr. Fraser.’ John Quincy belched slightly and beamed benevolently at Jamie. ‘I cain’t insult your hospitality, now, can I?’”

I always love interactions with John Quincy - a real character!

QOTD for Monday 29 January 2024

The following quote is from Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 29, “Remember, Man…” Copyright 2021 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“’This one’s near finished,’ he said, leading Brianna into an open-sided shed smelling of the fresh wood shavings that covered the floor. ‘Higgins, you say…not sure I know which lady that might be. How big would you say…’
Brianna mutely held a hand at the level of her chest, and Mr. MacLeod nodded. He was old, leathery, and mostly bald, with a half-sprouted gray beard and shoulders stooped by constant bending over his work, be he exuded a sense of calm competence.
‘This’ll do, then. Now, as to when…’ He squinted at the half-finished coffin, balanced on wooden sawhorses. Pine planks in different stages of preparation leaned against the walls. She could hear the rustle of what were probably mice in the shadows, and found it oddly soothing, almost domestic.
‘I could help you,” she blurted, and he looked up at her, startled.
‘I’m a good builder,’ she said.”

Reading this, it seemed to me that Brianna helping to finish the coffin was a good way to deal with her grief at the loss of her friend.

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Replies:
- Sorry I didn't change the dates on those two. Should be January 21 and January 22. Will fix the rest of the week. (NT) -- JudithONH, Mon, January 22 2024, 10:01:28
  - Never even noticed the dates. Thanks for doing the QOTD and using Bees. I’ve only read it once too and don’t remember all the details either. John Quincy Meyers is forever in my mind on the dining room table getting hernia surgery. lol. I had forgotten that Bri helped build Amy’s coffin. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Mon, January 22 2024, 13:24:23
- I, too, have only read "Bees" once, so those quotes are always a treat. I'm always happy to see John Quincy pop up! (NT) -- DianaH, Mon, January 22 2024, 11:10:38
- I've forgotten how many times I've listened to Bees, I think there are some really brilliant passages. Poor Amy. Such a tragedy. And I thought Diana's descriptions of Brianna's reactions rang true. Always fun when Meyers shows up. I hope he stays out of harm's way. (NT) -- kgp, Mon, January 22 2024, 17:58:29
QOTD for Saturday, January 20, 2024 -- CindyG, Fri, January 19 2024, 19:29:37
The following quote is from An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 11, “Transverse Lie.” Copyright 2009 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“‘This is silly,’ she said, ‘I can see my breath—and yours. It’s cold enough to blow smoke rings. We’ll freeze.’
‘No, we won’t. Ken the way the Indians make fire?’
‘What, rubbing a dry stick on a …’
‘Aye, friction.”’He’d got her petticoats up; her thigh was smooth and cold under his hand. ‘I see it’s no going to be dry, though—Christ, Sassenach, what have ye been about?’ He had her firmly in the palm of his hand, warm and soft and juicy, and she squealed at the chill of his touch, loud enough that one of the mules let out a startled wheeze. She wriggled, just enough to make him take his hand out from between her legs and insert something else, quick.
‘Ye’re going to rouse the whole barn,’ he observed, breathless. God, the enveloping shock of the heat of her made him giddy.
She ran her cold hands up under his shirt and pinched both his nipples, hard, and he yelped, then laughed.
‘Do that again,’ he said, and bending, stuck his tongue in her cold ear for the pleasure of hearing her shriek. She wriggled and arched her back, but didn’t—he noticed—actually turn her head away. He took her earlobe gently between his teeth and began to worry it, rogering her slowly and laughing to himself at the noises she made.
It had been a long time of making silent love.”

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Replies:
- Your quotes are SO sexy in a real life way. The little sqeaks and noises, ignoring the cold, knowing what parts of the body - besides the obvious - thrill to touches and little kisses. Diana writes the best “porn” I’ve ever read. Thanks, Cindy! (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sat, January 20 2024, 4:09:33
- QOTD -- Kirsten, Sun, January 21 2024, 7:57:28
  - Hope you feel better soon, Kirsten. You’re so right! There’s time in the books to write these passages and savor them as we read them. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sun, January 21 2024, 10:19:33
- These quotes certainly warmed up a very cold SE Massachusetts this week!!! (NT) -- DianaH, Mon, January 22 2024, 11:06:38
QOTD for Thursday, January 18, 2024 -- CindyG, Wed, January 17 2024, 21:45:32
The following quote is from The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 13, “Beans and Barbecue.” Copyright 2001 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“I’ think we’ll not have time for the lot, Jamie dear,’ said the priest. ‘But if ye were to tell me about one or two of these occasions, just so as I could be formin’ a notion as to the … er … severity of the offense …?’
‘Och, aye. Well, the worst was likely the time wi’ the butter churn.’
‘Butter churn? Ah … the sort with the handle pokin’ up?’ Father Kenneth’s tone encompassed a sad compassion for the lewd possibilities suggested by this.
‘Oh, no, Father; it was a barrel churn. The sort that lies on its side, aye, with a wee handle to turn it? Well, it’s only that she was workin’ the churn with great vigor, and the laces of her bodice undone, so that her breasts wobbled to and fro, and the cloth clinging to her with the sweat of her work. Now, the churn was just the right height—and curved, aye?—so as make me think of bendin’ her across it and lifting her skirts, and—‘
My mouth opened involuntarily in shock. That was my bodice he was describing, my breasts, and my butter churn! To say nothing of my skirts. I remembered that particular occasion quite vividly, and if it had started with an impure thought, it certainly hadn’t stopped there.“

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Replies:
- Thanks for a lovely week, Cindy! Perfect timing for the frigid week we’re having. I love how Diana can made a scene very hot with just the right words in just the right order describing Jamie’s horndog thoughts. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, January 18 2024, 4:47:42
- Funny how Jamie uses this example of "impure thoughts", when other places in 'The Books' he calls it a sacrament. Gotta love our Jamie! (NT) -- Janet, Thu, January 18 2024, 10:39:58
  - Excellent point, Janet! LOL (NT) -- DianaH, Mon, January 22 2024, 11:02:20
QOTD for Friday, January 19, 2024 -- CindyG, Thu, January 18 2024, 22:23:15
The following quote is from A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 16, “Le Mot Juste.” Copyright 2005 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“‘Ye’re smiling to yourself,’ Jamie said in my ear. ‘Nice, was it?’
I turned my head and opened my eyes, finding them on a level with his mouth—which was smiling, too.
‘Nice,’ I said thoughtfully, tracing the line of his wide lower lip with the tip of one finger. ‘Are you being deliberately modest, or are you hoping to inspire me to raptures of praise by means of classic understatement?’
The mouth widened further, and his teeth closed gently on my questing finger for a moment before releasing it.
‘Oh, modesty, to be sure,’ he said. ‘If I’d hopes of inspiring ye to raptures, it wouldna be with my words, now, would it?’
One hand ran lightly down my back in illustration.
‘Well, the words help,’ I said.
‘They do?’
‘Yes. Just now, I was actually trying to rank “I love you, I like you, I worship you, I have to have my cock inside you,” in terms of their relative sincerity.’
‘Did I say that?’ he said, sounding slightly startled.
‘Yes. Weren’t you listening?’
‘No,’ he admitted. ‘I meant every word of it, though.’ His hand cupped one buttock, weighing it appreciatively. ‘Still do, come to that.’”

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QOTD for Wednesday, January 17, 2024 -- CindyG, Tue, January 16 2024, 18:40:42
The following quote is from Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 16, “The First Law of Thermodynamics.” Copyright 1997 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“‘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.’
The wind stirred the leaves of the chestnut trees nearby, and the scents of late summer rose up rich around us; pine and grass and strawberries, sunwarmed stone and cool water, and the sharp, musky smell of his body next to mine.
‘Nothing is lost, Sassenach; only changed.’
‘That’s the first law of thermodynamics,’ I said, wiping my nose.
‘No,” he said. ‘That’s faith.’”

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Replies:
- I think of this one a lot too. Not just the romance of it but the science of it. I didn’t really know about “The first law…….” so it adds to the things I’ve learned reading the books! Quite a few crossword unusual words too; oxter for one. Lol (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, January 18 2024, 4:44:35
QOTD for Tuesday, January 16, 2024 -- CindyG, Mon, January 15 2024, 22:54:11
The following quote is from Voyager by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 52, “A Wedding Takes Place.” Copyright 1994 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“‘I have been thinking of this for months, now,’ he said, with keen anticipation. ‘Every night, folded up in that godforsaken nutshell of a berth, listening to Fergus grunt and fart across the cabin. I thought it all out, just what I would do, did I have ye naked and willing, no one in hearing, and room enough to serve ye suitably.’ He lathered the cake of soap vigorously between his palms, and applied it to his face.
‘Well, I’m willing enough,’ I said, intrigued. ‘And there’s room, certainly. As for naked …’
‘I’ll see to that,’ he assured me. ‘That’s part o’ the plan, aye?’
. . . ‘Then I shall lay ye down upon the quilt, twist your hair up in my hand and taste your face and throat and ears and bosom wi’ my lips,’ he said. ‘I thought I would do that until ye start to make squeaking noises.’
‘I don’t make squeaking noises!’
‘Aye, ye do,’ he said.”

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Replies:
- Love this whole scene and all the noises that Claire "doesn't make!!! (NT) -- Janet, Tue, January 16 2024, 10:31:11
QOTD for Monday, January 15, 2024 -- CindyG, Sun, January 14 2024, 20:12:37
The following quote is from Dragonfly in Amberby Diana Gabaldon, chapter 29, “To Grasp the Nettle.” Copyright 1992 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“‘Never,’ he whispered to me, face only inches from mine.
‘Never,’ I said, and turned my head, closing my eyes to escape the intensity of his gaze.
A gentle, inexorable pressure turned me back to face him, as the small, rhythmic movements went on.
‘No, my Sassenach,’ he said softly. ‘Open your eyes. Look at me. For that is your punishment, as it is mine. See what you have done to me, as I know what I have done to you. Look at me.’
And I looked, held prisoner, bound to him. Looked, as he dropped the last of his masks, and showed me the depths of himself, and the wounds of his soul. I would have wept for his hurt, and for mine, had I been able. But his eyes held mine, tearless and open, boundless as the salt sea. His body held mine captive, driving me before his strength, like the west wind in the sails of a bark.
And I voyaged into him, as he into me, so that when the last small storms of love began to shake me, he cried out, and we rode the waves together as one flesh, and saw ourselves in each other’s eyes.”

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Replies:
- Oh, my - it's a bit warm for January! :D This is after her, um, meeting with the King to get him released? I like how they always reconnect physically, but it's a shame that her worth as collateral for him is limited to sex. (NT) -- kgp, Mon, January 15 2024, 8:06:39
QOTD for Sunday, January 14, 2024 -- CindyG, Sat, January 13 2024, 18:44:38
Saw a post on Facebook a few days ago asking if there was a list of all the sex scenes in the books. Karen Henry pointed them to Diana’s book “I Give You My Body,” which I bought a year or so ago but haven’t read thoroughly. There’s a handy appendix that lists them, although it doesn’t include Bees since it hadn’t been written yet. So, that inspired this week’s quotes.

The following quote is from Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 18, “Raiders in the Rocks.” Copyright 1991 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“‘Jamie! Not here!’ I said, squirming away and pushing my skirt down again.
‘Are ye tired, Sassenach?’ he asked with concern. ‘Dinna worry, I won’t take long.’ Now both hands were at it, rucking the heavy fabric up in front.
‘No!’ I replied, all too mindful of the twenty men lying a few feet away. ‘I’m not tired, it’s just—‘ I gasped as his groping hand found its way between my legs.
‘Lord,’he said softly. ‘It’s slippery as waterweed. . . .’
‘Jamie,’ I panted. He pushed his kilt out of the way and pressed my hand against him.
‘Bloody Christ,’ I said, impressed despite myself. My sense of propriety slipped another notch.
‘Fighting gives ye a terrible cockstand, after. Ye want me, do ye no?’ he said, pulling back a little to look at me. It seemed pointless to deny it, what with all the evidence to hand. He was hard as a brass rod against my bared thigh.”

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Replies:
- I was thinking I should go back to the beginning. Now I'm sure of it !! (NT) -- kgp, Sat, January 13 2024, 18:53:29
- This is still one of my all time favorite mmmmpphh scenes ❤️ 💥 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sun, January 14 2024, 15:29:03
  - It was hard to cut it down to size! (NT) -- CindyG, Sun, January 14 2024, 20:05:39
QOTD for Saturday, January 13, 2024 -- kgp, Sat, January 13 2024, 10:18:02
The following quotation is from Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 29 Remember, Man . . .

He couldn’t tell her it would be all right. But neither could he leave her to stand alone here like a lightning rod.

“If I have to pick ye up, I’ll likely fall off the roof and we’ll both be killed.” he said, and took her cold hand. “Come down. Aye?”

She nodded, straightened, and wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her shift.

“It’s not wrong to be alive,” he said quietly. “I’m glad you are.”

She nodded again, raised his hand to her cold lips, and kissed it. They made their way down the ladder in the dark one after the other, each alone but together, toward the distant glow of the hearth below.

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Replies:
- I assumed this was Jamie and Claire but couldn’t remember so I read the chapter. Roger and Bri after Amy is killed by the bear; it’s so real and sad. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sun, January 14 2024, 15:41:34
QOTD for Friday, January 12, 2024 -- kgp, Fri, January 12 2024, 8:06:18
The following quotation is from Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 35 Ambsace

She did, heaved the water into the tub, then set down the bucket, looked up at me and said seriously, “I know what ‘swived’ means.”

I felt as though she’d just kicked me sharply in the shin.

“Do you, indeed?” I managed, picking up my working knife. “I, um . . . suppose you would.” She’d spent half her short life in a brothel in Philadelphia; she probably knew a lot of other words not in the vocabulary of the average twelve-year-old.

“It’s too bad,” she said, turning to fetch another bucket; the boys had filled all of them this morning; there were six left. “I like his lordship a lot. He wath - was so good to me and - and Jane. I like Mr. Fraser, too,” she added. Though with a certain reserve.

“I’m sure he appreciates your good opinion.” I said gravely, wondering, What the hell? ”And yes, his lordship is a very fine man. He’s always been a good friend to us.” I put a bit of emphasis on the “us,” and saw that register.

“Oh.” A small frown disturbed the perfect skin of her forehead. “I thup- suppose that makes it worse. That you went to bed with him,” she explained, lest I have missed her point. “Men don’t like to share a woman. Unless it’s an ambsace.”

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Replies:
- And now I had to read the whole chapter to figure out what Ambsace was. This is a great snippet that I had forgotten! (NT) -- Janet, Fri, January 12 2024, 11:09:42
  - I've been listening to the book overnight and I wake up in random passages. (NT) -- kgp, Fri, January 12 2024, 12:08:40
    - I do that too! Only quietly listen to books I know so I just drift off to a familiar “bed time story.” (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Fri, January 12 2024, 17:25:11
- archaic. : the lowest throw at dice. also : something worthless or unlucky. I wonder why the madam used this word to describe two men with one woman. (NT) -- kgp, Fri, January 12 2024, 12:42:53
  - I think she was just describing the woman. As usual, double standard. Thanks for the definition - I remember this scene but didn’t remember that phrase. It’s going to be interesting to see Fanny as a young woman on the ridge. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Fri, January 12 2024, 17:23:03
QOTD for January 11, 2024 -- kgp, Thu, January 11 2024, 7:31:22
The following quotation is from Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 35 Ambsace

He moved close to me and looked down into my face, blue eyes dark with intent.

“Did I tell ye once that I am a jealous man?”

“You did, but . . . “

“And did I tell ye that I grudged every hour ye’d spent in another man’s bed?”

I took a deep breath to squash down the hasty words I could feel boiling up.

“You did,” I said, through only slightly clenched teeth.

He glared at me for a long moment.

“I meant it,” he said. “I still mean it. Ye’ll do what ye damn please - God knows, ye always do - but don’t pretend ye dinna ken what I feel about it!”

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Replies:
- I had to go to the book to see what this was in reference to....I can only hope that the rift between Jamie and Lord John gets settled in the next book, and from the snippets Diana shares, I'm sure it will. (NT) -- Janet, Thu, January 11 2024, 10:59:40
  - I thought it was that, thanks for confirming it for me Diana! This is a really tough one for Jamie, but I do think they’ll get beyond it. I wonder if Lord John will ever see the colonist’s side. Do any of you read excerpts? I do whenever I can but I won’t post spoilers. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, January 11 2024, 11:09:04
QOTD for Tuesday, January 9, 2024 -- kgp, Tue, January 09 2024, 6:54:26
The following quotation is from Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 34 The Son Of A Preacher-Man

A good deal of warmth having been enkindled by the song - and Bluebell’s contribution - everyone had sat quietly for a few minutes. I’d felt Jamie, beside me, draw himself up a little, as though having made a decision, and he told the congregation about Sylvia Hardman, a Quaker woman he’d met by chance at her house near Philadelphia, and who had cared for him for several days, his back having chosen to incapacitate him.

“Besides her great kindness,” he said, “I was taken by her wee daughters. They were as kind as their mother - but it was their names I liked most. Patience, Prudence, and Chastity, they were called. So I’d meant to ask ye, Rachel - do Friends often call their children after virtues?”

“They do,” she said, and smiling at Jemmy, who had started to twitch a little, added, “Jeremiah - if thee wasn’t called Jeremiah, what name would thee choose? If thee were to be named for a virtue, I mean.”

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Replies:
- I just love Rachel and the reminder of Mrs. Hardman. The chapter title struck me because I LOVE Dusty Springfield’s song. Naming your children is a fascinating process and it’s so interesting to me what names get chosen/“put upon”. These little girls were in the direst circumstances and I wonder if their names were their mother’s hopes. One more thing, Diana’s use of names - Mrs. Hard Man? Pure thing! (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Wed, January 10 2024, 4:42:20
  - I meant poor thing, although pure in heart fits her too. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Wed, January 10 2024, 4:48:22
    - LOL, I never thought about her last name, Kathy in PA! (NT) -- DianaH, Wed, January 10 2024, 9:52:36
  - I didn't catch that either! (NT) -- kgp, Wed, January 10 2024, 12:46:33
QOTD for Wednesday, January 10, 2024 -- kgp, Tue, January 09 2024, 16:01:52
The following quotation is from Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 34 The Son Of A Preacher-Man

“You started it, Da,” Brianna said now, amused. “But I noticed you didn’t pick a virtuous name at the meeting.”

He’s already got the names of three Scottish kings,” Roger protested. “He’ll be gettin’ above himself if ye give him any more to play with.”

“You didn’t pick one, either, did you, Mama?” I could see the wheels turning in Bree’s mind, and moved to forestall her.

“Er . . . how about Gentleness?” I said, causing many of those at the table to burst into laughter.

“Is Ruthlessness a virtue?” Jamie said, grinning at me.

“Probably not,” I said, rather coldly. “Though I suppose it depends on the circumstances.”

“True,” he said, and taking my hand, kissed it. “Resolve, then - or maybe Resolution?”

“Well, Resolution Fraser does have a certain ring to it,” I said. “I have one for you, too.”

“Oh, aye?”

“Endurance.”

He didn’t stop smiling, but a certain look of ruefulness came into his eyes.

“Aye,” he said. “That’ll do.”

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Replies:
- Posting early in case we lose power. What virtuous name would you pick for yourself? (NT) -- kgp, Tue, January 09 2024, 16:14:18
QUTD for Saturdy, 01/06/2024 -- Janet, Sat, January 06 2024, 2:59:03
The Following quote is from Go Tell the Bees I am Gone, by Diana Gabaldon, Chapter 11, Lightning Copyright 2021, All rights reserved.

“A lot of things have almost killed him,” she said, her laughter gone. “One of these days….” Her voice was husky.

“It’ll be one of these days for everyone, mo ghraidh. If it weren’t, people wouldn’t think they need a minister. As for your da…as long as your mother’s here, l think he’ll be alright, no matter what.”

She gave a deep sigh, and the tension in her body eased.

“I think everybody feels like that about them both. If they’re here, everything will be all right.”

I know I certainly feel that way about them! Thanks for reading this week, it was fun.

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Replies:
- Thank you, Janet, for a lovely week. There are so many wonderful passages in Bees. I wish more Homer's would chime on on our quotes. We used to have amazing discussions about every detail. (NT) -- kgp, Sat, January 06 2024, 11:36:45
  - I'm curious to know how many people are following this board....Sometimes I feel there are only a few of us left. Has anyone heard from Betsy Barefoot Spinner; I think about her often. (NT) -- Janet, Sun, January 07 2024, 9:23:35
    - Thank you, too, Janet. I missed your whole week - just busy and off the iPad. I wish more of us would keep discussing too. For anyone who was in the card exchange I have to quote my son in law, “I don’t think I even know that many people, let alone get cards from them!!” I smugly said that’s our Ladies of Lallybroch community. They were all around the kitchen pass through. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Wed, January 10 2024, 4:55:13
QOTD for Monday, January 8, 2024 -- kgp, Sun, January 07 2024, 18:41:27
The following quotation is from Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 42 Sasanaich Clann Na Galladh!

“You’re planning to steal guns from the Continental army?” I blurted. “Or make Fergus do it, which is even worse?”

“No,” he said patiently. “That would be treason. Aye? I’m going to buy them from whoever is stealing them. Someone always is. Fergus will likely ken who the local smugglers are, already, but if not, I’ve considerable faith that he can find out.”

“It’ll cost a pretty price,” Roger said, lifting a brow,

Jamie grimaced, nodding. “Aye. I’ve kept that gold safe all these years for the time it should be needed for the cause of revolution - and . . . now it is.”

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Replies:
- I love how Jamie's mind works...I won't steal them (treason) but I'll buy from those who di.....And it's nice to see the gold used in another rebellion against the crown! (NT) -- Janet, Mon, January 08 2024, 10:29:06
  - I know!!! It’s funny how we can justify sometimes. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Wed, January 10 2024, 4:49:39
QOTD for Sunday, January 7, 2024 -- kgp, Sat, January 06 2024, 18:55:22
The following quotation is from Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 42 Sasanaich Clann Na Galladh!

“All right. The guns - you actually have two problems there, don’t you?”

“I’d be happy if there were only two,” he said, taking another sip. “Which problems d’ye mean, lass?”

“Buying the guns - oh, I see what you mean by more than two problems. But putting that aside for a minute: you need to buy the guns, and then you need to get them back here. Do you have an idea where you’re going to get them, by the way?”

“Fergus,” Jamie said promptly.

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