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QOTD for Friday, June 17, 2022 -- CindyG, Thu, June 16 2022, 20:39:45
The following quote is from Written in My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 120, “A Crackling of Thorns.” Copyright © 2014 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“‘No!’ Jamie bellowed, seeing it. ‘Germain, don’t!’ But Germain bent his head over his brother’s, and I thought I saw his lips move, saying, ‘Hold on tight!’ And then he stepped out into the air, both hands clinging to the rope, Henri-Christian’s stocky legs wrapped round his ribs.
It happened instantly and yet so slowly. Henri-Christian’s short legs lost their grip. Germain’s grab failed, for the little boy was already falling, arms outstretched, in a half somersault through the smoky air.
He fell straight through the sea of upraised hands, and the sound as his head struck the cobbles was the sound of the end of the world.”

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Replies:
- James, you knew this was one of those moments. All week our hearts are breaking for our Outlander families. 😢 This is another time it’s pointed out how these kids grew up before their time. Especially Germaine - imagine having the courage to believe with all your heart that you can save your little brother from a second story burning building, when he was just a kid himself, and then losing him. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Fri, June 17 2022, 3:03:36
  - That's the passage. Been off line for a few days so just now seeing it. (NT) -- JamesG, Sun, June 19 2022, 16:56:41
- Poor wee man, that last line has always stuck with me (NT) -- Cait, Sat, June 18 2022, 6:24:17
I git the vid of Final Jeopardy on y-tube every day. Today's was Debut novels. I was thinking could it be?? The clue started "published in 1991,...." Well I think you know the answer. And I hate to say it but none of the contestants got it right. -- JamesG, Thu, June 16 2022, 19:18:36
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Replies:
- Huge Jeopardy fan, I watch every day, but today’s episode is delayed because of the basketball game. It’s on at something like 2 am, so I’ll see it tomorrow. I just love it when Outlander turns up in clues, but it is depressing when they don’t know it. (NT) -- CindyG, Thu, June 16 2022, 20:42:57
- I was kind of half watching and walked away. Later my son sent me the video of final Jeopardy- most of our families understand our obsession. Lol. As soon as I read 1991 I perked but the Moebius twist confirmed it! I can’t believe none of them knew it, but then someone mixed up Mick Jagger and Michael Caine?!? What a riot. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Fri, June 17 2022, 2:57:38
QOTD for Thursday, June 16, 2022 -- CindyG, Wed, June 15 2022, 20:13:17
The following quote is from Written in My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 115, “The Raveled Sleeve of Care.” Copyright © 2014 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“She knew at once. Should have known from the instant she woke. Because Rollo woke when Ian did, stretching and yawning with a groaning creak of jaw muscles and a lazy thump of tail against the wall, before coming to poke a cold nose into his master’s hand.
This morning there was only stillness, and the curled form of what used to be Rollo.
Ian rose and went to him swiftly, knelt on the floor beside the body of his dog, and laid a gentle hand on the big furry head. He didn’t say anything, or weep, but she heard the sound he made when he breathed, as of something tearing in his chest.
She got out of bed and came to Ian, kneeling beside him, arm about his waist, and she was weeping, quite without meaning to.
‘Mo chiù,’ Ian said, running his hand lightly over the soft, thick fur. ‘Mo chuilean.’ There was a catch in his voice when he said, ‘Beannachd leat, a charaid.’ Goodbye, old friend.”

This may not seem as awful as some of the others, but it had me bawling.

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Replies:
- Oh yes it is. Me too. Our pets, it doesn’t even seem right to call them that, are a beloved part of our families. To be honest, I was more excited about Rollo’s pups than Emily’s son. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, June 16 2022, 5:53:17
  - Kathy in PA, yes, all of those things. I just had my kitty PTS a couple of weeks ago, his sister 8 months ago. They were 17 and nearly 18, so good long lives, but this is the first time in about 40 years that I've not had a pet at home. The loss of Rollo was heartbreaking, even though we knew he couldn't live forever. It still chokes me up. (NT) -- DianaH, Thu, June 16 2022, 8:43:20
    - I’m so sorry, Diana. Yesterday was the 16th anniversary of when we had to put KC, our crazy, fluffy, blue eyed, much loved Australian shepherd Husky mix. But since then there have been two more rescues with Bonnie still here and as long as I can, I’ll rescue senior pups. Do you live on a farm? I think that because of some of your posts IIRC. Are you going to get another kitty? (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, June 16 2022, 9:52:25
- Hi 😊 -- Kathy in PA, Thu, June 16 2022, 14:33:17
  - Sending error - maybe inside -- Kathy in PA, Thu, June 16 2022, 14:35:43
- This part got to me almost as bad as HC's did. Pray for me and my cats. (NT) -- JamesG, Thu, June 16 2022, 19:22:27
QOTD for Wednesday, June 15, 2022 -- CindyG, Tue, June 14 2022, 21:00:36
The following quote is from A Breath of Snow And Ashes by Diana Gabaldon, chapter28, “Curses.” Copyright © 2005 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“I could feel the violence in him, pulsing like an exposed heart, thin-walled and ready to burst. I knew I couldn’t escape or prevent him—knew he would hurt me, given the slightest excuse. The only thing to do was be still and endure him.
I couldn’t. I heaved under him and rolled to the side, bringing up my knee as he pushed my shift aside. It hit him a glancing blow in the thigh, and he drew back his fist by reflex and punched me in the face, sharp and quick.
Red-black pain bloomed sudden from the center of my face, filled my head, and I went blind, shocked into momentary immobility. You utter fool, I thought, with total clarity. Now he’ll kill you. The second blow struck my cheek and snapped my head to the side. Perhaps I moved again in blind resistance, perhaps I didn’t.
Suddenly he was kneeling astride me, punching and slapping, blows dull and heavy as the thump of ocean waves on sand, too remote as yet for pain. I twisted, curling, bringing up my shoulder and trying to shield my face against the ground, and then his weight was gone.
He was standing. He was kicking me and cursing, panting and half-sobbing as his boot thudded into sides and back and thighs and buttocks. I panted in short gasps, trying to breathe. My body jerked and quivered with each blow, skidding on the leaf-strewn ground, and I clung to the sense of the ground below me, trying so hard to sink down, be swallowed by the earth.
Then it stopped. I could hear him panting, trying to speak. ‘Goddamn … goddamn … oh, goddamn … frig … friggin’ … bitch…’”

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Replies:
- Oh Cindy, you sure are picking the gut wrenching ones. I couldn’t see how she survived. More than any author I’ve read, I felt those kicks. Those effing Browns, I don’t know if I would be as brave, but I cheered when Marsali killed one of them. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Wed, June 15 2022, 3:34:50
  - In the Book it was Mrs. Bugg - she killed him because he knew about the gold she'd hidden in her work basket. (NT) -- kgp, Wed, June 15 2022, 6:38:46
    - I totally blanked that and remembered the show! That was when we still loved the Bugs. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Wed, June 15 2022, 12:47:51
- Completely horrible! My heart goes out to all women who have endured and survived. (NT) -- kgp, Wed, June 15 2022, 6:37:47
- The scenes like this make me want to scream, and cry, and jump into the pages to beat the crap out of the attacker. Anger, fear, pain all course through me. (NT) -- DianaH, Wed, June 15 2022, 8:29:34
- The part that got me was shortly after this, when she was gagged and her face swelled up, her nose closing, and she was in danger of suffocating. To have endured and lived through the violence, then be in danger of dying because of a gag and broken nose.... (NT) -- Kel, Wed, June 15 2022, 9:50:05
  - It was hard to pick the passage to post. This whole chapter is a very difficult read. (NT) -- CindyG, Wed, June 15 2022, 10:56:01
  - Yes. And Catriona’s portrayal killed me. The not being able to breathe really got me too. As I’ve gotten older I’ve gotten kind of claustrophobic. And any lack of air is panicking. Jamie says Claire “rips his guts out,”. this passage did mine. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Wed, June 15 2022, 12:46:29
QOTD for Tuesday, June 14, 2022 -- CindyG, Mon, June 13 2022, 20:04:07
The following quote is from The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 69, “Hideous Emergency.” Copyright © 2001 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“The noose was sunk deep in his flesh; I groped frantically in my pocket for my penknife. It was a new rope, raw hemp. The fibers were hairy, stained brown with dried blood. I registered the fact faintly, in the remote part of my mind that had time for such things while my hands were busy. New ropes stretch. A real hangsman has his own ropes, already stretched and oiled, well-tested for ease of use. The raw hemp jabbed my fingers, stabbed painfully under my nails as I clawed and pried and ripped at it.
The last strand popped and I yanked it free, heedless of laceration—that hardly mattered. I daren’t risk tilting his head back; if the cervical vertebrae were fractured, I could cripple or kill him. And if he couldn’t breathe, that wouldn’t matter, either.”

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Replies:
- This poor guy! I do love Roger, but life in America has NOT been good to him. (NT) -- Susannah, Tue, June 14 2022, 4:38:49
  - I agree, Susannah! (NT) -- DianaH, Tue, June 14 2022, 9:17:02
- Another (literally) breathless moment. Good thing no one was home when I read this. (NT) -- kgp, Tue, June 14 2022, 6:41:40
  - I know!!! I couldn’t believe Diana was going to kill Roger! but I thought he was dead. Held my breath it seemed forever. Another thing I learned from Outlander - the difference between a good hanging and a bad hanging; and the tools that cause each. Later found out the horrifying fact that many suicide victims don’t know that either. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, June 14 2022, 9:40:54
    - You never know. There was a child falling out a window that made my jaw drop and I said out loud "no she did not just write that!!!!!" Not a whole lot makes my jaw drop when reading but that did!! I miss little HC. (NT) -- JamesG, Tue, June 14 2022, 15:06:41
      - Me too 😔 (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, June 14 2022, 17:57:33
QOTD for Monday, June 13, 2012 -- CindyG, Sun, June 12 2022, 20:40:57
The following quote is from Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 50, “In Which All Is Revealed.” Copyright © 1997 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“‘WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HIM?’ she screamed.
Jamie blinked and Ian flinched. They exchanged haunted glances.
I put a hand on Jamie’s arm, squeezing tight. I couldn’t keep the quaver out of my own voice as I asked the necessary question.
‘Jamie—did you kill him?’
He glanced at me, and the tension in his face relaxed, if only marginally.
‘Ah … no,’ he said. ‘I gave him to the Iroquois.’”

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Replies:
- Oops. (NT) -- kgp, Mon, June 13 2022, 7:50:35
- Oh boy, CindyG, you seem to have started us on a roller coaster this week. All of these scenes make me angry and want to scream "NOOOO!!" at the characters (or at DG.) (NT) -- DianaH, Mon, June 13 2022, 9:39:08
  - Yes! I’m going for those difficult to read passages. (NT) -- CindyG, Mon, June 13 2022, 10:41:51
  - My other group agonized over “who’s fault?!?!” Jamie and Ian of course - testosterone poisoning. Brianna and Claire for not trusting Jamie to handle the news. Lizzie for totally misinterpreting the situation. Bri for having a hissy fit and stomping off on Roger. Roger for not following her that night. ALL of them acting before any kind of listening. But this was really, really bad. It’s a good thing Roger is handsome because he goes around like Joe Blftsvpkxzsh with a cloud over his head. (NT) -- Kathy back in PA, Mon, June 13 2022, 10:44:51
QOTD for Sunday, June 11, 2022 -- CindyG, Sat, June 11 2022, 20:35:25
The following quote is from Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 35, “Wentworth Prison.” Copyright © 1991 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“‘Do what ye wish to me. I’ll not struggle, though I’ll allow you to bind me if ye think it needful. And I’ll not speak of it, come tomorrow. But first you’ll see the woman safe from the prison.’ My eyes were on Jamie’s ruined hand. A small pool of blood under the middle finger was growing, and I realized with a shock that he was deliberately pressing the finger into the table, using the pain as a spur to stay conscious. He was bargaining for my life using the only thing he had left—himself. If he fainted now, that single chance was gone.“

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Replies:
- Just horrifying - this entire portion of the book. I couldn't breathe. (NT) -- kgp, Sun, June 12 2022, 6:47:40
  - Yep. Every reread, I have to stop when I get to this chapter and wait a couple of days before continuing. (NT) -- CindyG, Sun, June 12 2022, 10:32:52
    - It made me have an undying, unforgiving deep hatred for BJR. There’s the question of what he suffered at the older brother’s hands, the possibility that he saved Alex from that and he DID love and care for his brother …….. but that doesn’t come anywhere near making up for what he did to:Jamie, Alex in the prison, Jenny, Claire, Fergus and the hundreds of others we don’t know by name. He makes SB explainable to me. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sun, June 12 2022, 11:02:10
QOTD for Saturday, June 11, 2022 -- kgp, Sat, June 11 2022, 6:42:38
The following quotation is from Written In my Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 63 An Alternate Use For a Penis Syringe

“I’m going to lubricate his lordship’s bad eye,” I said. “Fergus, will you come and steady his lordship’s head, please? Put your hand on his forehead. And, Germain, you’ll hold his eyelids open.”

“I can keep still,” John said irritably.

“Be quiet,” I said briefly, and sat down on the stool beside him. “No one can keep still while having things poked into their eye.”

“You were poking your bloody fingers into my eye not an hour since! And I didn’t move!”

“You squirmed,” I said. “It’s not your fault, you couldn’t help it. Now, be quiet; I don’t want to accidentally stab you in the eyeball with this.”

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Replies:
- Is anyone else amazed that Lord John is still alive? From his broken arm in Outlander, throught mercury poisoning, cannon blowing up, hit over the head and trepaned, and now this....he is a very resilient man! (NT) -- Janet, Sat, June 11 2022, 10:59:10
  - This was not a good few days for him. I wonder if, like Jamie, he has nine lives? (NT) -- kgp, Sat, June 11 2022, 11:03:22
- Wasn’t this horrible?!? I wince every time I read it. The more we read about Lord John the more I love him. He has SUCH a good heart. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sat, June 11 2022, 15:11:21
QOTD for Friday, June 10, 2022 -- kgp, Fri, June 10 2022, 7:04:51
The following quotation is from Written In my Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 62 The Mule Dislikes You

”Got you there, Belden!” a man near me called. “The mule dislikes you. What do you think of that?”

The teamster looked mildly dazed but still homicidal. He stood with his fists clenched, legs braced wide apart and shoulders hunched, glowering at the crowd.
“What I think . . . ? he began. “I think - “

But Percy had managed to get to his feet and, while still somewhat hunched, was mobile. Without hesitation, he walked up and kicked the teamster smartly in the balls.

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Replies:
- This scene really had my adrenaline going. That teamster was naasstty! But then, at that moment, I adored Percy. (NT) -- Kathy in PA (actually in NJ for a few days gardening with my sister 😊), Sat, June 11 2022, 3:50:56
  - One of the few times we get to see Percy to the rescue, especially in the big books. (NT) -- kgp, Sat, June 11 2022, 13:38:05
QOTD for Thursday, June 9, 2022 -- kgp, Thu, June 09 2022, 5:06:35
The following quotation is from Written In my Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 61 A Viscous Three-way

“Germain!” I said, and Jamie whirled about, eyes wide.

Germain stiffened for an instant and then turned to flee, but too late; Lieutenant Schnell, living up to his name, sprang through the line and grabbed Germain by the arm.

“Is he yours, sir?” he asked, glancing curiously from Jamie to Germain and back.

“He is,” Jamie said, with a tone that had turned many a man’s blood to water. “What the devil - “

“I’m an orderly!” Germain said proudly, trying to detach himself from Lieutenant Schnell’s grip. “I’m supposed to be here!”

“No, you’re not,” his grandfather assured him. “And what do ye mean, an orderly? Whose orderly?”

Germain at once glanced in John’s direction, then, realizing his mistake, jerked his eyes back, but it was too late. Jamie reached John in a single stride and ripped the hat off his head.

Last edited by author: Thu, June 09 2022, 5:10:38 Edited 1 time.
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Replies:
- I really loved this section with Germaine & Lord John, such a dynamic duo! (NT) -- DianaH, Fri, June 10 2022, 8:18:04
  - Which one is Batman?? 😂😂 (NT) -- JamesG, Fri, June 10 2022, 11:05:54
QOTD for Wednesday, June 8, 2022 -- kgp, Tue, June 07 2022, 18:37:00
The following quotation is from Written In my Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 60 Quakers and Quartermasters

“Dear Lord,” Greene said, wrinkling his nose at the dog’s reek.

“Aye, well,” Jamie said, resigned. “My wife says ye get used to any sort of smell after a bit of smelling it. And I suppose she’d know.”

“Why, is she a cook?”

“Och, no. A physician. Gangrene, ken, festering bowels and the like.”

Greene blinked.

“I see. You have a most interesting family, Mr. Fraser.” He coughed and looked after Ian, rapidly vanishing in the distance. “You might be wrong about him never becoming a Quaker. At least he doesn’t bow his head to a title.”

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Replies:
- Oh the smells of the medical profession, thank goodness I learned how to close off my sinuses to smell at a young age. My own family has been called "interesting" many times, we are an eclectic bunch. (NT) -- Cait, Wed, June 08 2022, 6:51:00
  - I think we could answer to that as well. Lol. And isn’t it a lovely way of putting it? I do like that he recognizes Ian’s core. I am very sensitive to smells and recognize Diana’s use of them all through the books. It puts me right there. Smells and old music are my trigger memory things. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, June 09 2022, 4:01:04
    - Yes! Me too, smells and music definitely trigger memories (NT) -- Cait, Thu, June 09 2022, 6:11:56
- An interesting family, to be certain! (NT) -- DianaH, Fri, June 10 2022, 8:16:33
Oh Germain, his exploits always tickle me. I imagine if I'd had a son he'd be like this, we're a wild bunch. -- Cait, Thu, June 09 2022, 6:13:29
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Replies:
- He's in a hurry to be a man like Grandpere. (NT) -- kgp, Thu, June 09 2022, 11:55:48
  - Once again, Lord John to the rescue of one of Jamie’s loved ones. It wasn’t great at the moment when Grandpere found out though! (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Fri, June 10 2022, 1:54:31
QOTD for Tuesday, June 7, 2022 -- kgp, Mon, June 06 2022, 17:44:13
The following quotation is from Written In my Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 59 A Discovery In The Ranks

The 16th Pennsylvania militia company, Captain the REverend Peleg Woodsworth in command, marched into camp in good order, having paused just outside to tidy themselves, clean their weapons, and wash their faces. Lord John knew no one would take notice but approved of the preparations on grounds of good military discipline, as he explained to Germain,

“Slovenly troops make bad fighters,” he said, critically examining a large rent in the sleeve of his filthy black coat. “And soldiers must be in the habit of obeying orders, no matter what those orders are.”

Germain nodded. “Aye, that’s what me mam says. Doesn’t matter whether ye see the point or not, ye do as ye’re told, or else.”

“Your mother would make an admirable sergeant,” Grey assured his orderly.

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Replies:
- I remember the moms in my neighborhood being like that. And it was just fine. Does anyone else see a future for Germaine and Frances? They’re both old before their time. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, June 07 2022, 13:11:23
  - I thought so at first, but Cyrus wants to court her. Now that Germaine is back on the Ridge with his sisters Frances is going to be quite popular. (NT) -- kgp, Tue, June 07 2022, 18:29:30
QOTD for Sunday, June 5, 2022 -- kgp, Sat, June 04 2022, 17:12:04
The following quotation is from Written In my Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 57 Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

“It’s a woman in childbed, Denny,” she called. “Three campfires over!”

“Urgent?” Denny at once began unwrapping the pack he had just done up.

“This child says so.” Dottie straightened up and tucked her straggling fair hair back under her cap. “It’s her mother’s fourth; no trouble with the first three, but given the conditions . . . “ She sidled past the baggage to the lowered tailboard, and Ian gave her a hand to hop down.

“She really wanted Mrs. Fraser,” Dottie said to Denny, sotto voce. “But she’ll settle for thee.” She dimpled. “Is thee flattered?”

“I see my reputation spreads like pomade on a silken pillow,” he replied tranquilly. “And thy use of plain speech inflames me. Thee had best come with me. Will thee watch the wagon, Ian?”

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Replies:
- They are so cute I can’t stand it. I hope we see them on the screen. “I am a physician!” 😂 (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sat, June 04 2022, 18:29:24
  - I laughed at his 'reputation spreading like pomade on a silken pillow'. He's likened himself to a grease stain. (NT) -- kgp, Mon, June 06 2022, 5:57:06
  - Grease stain 😂😂😂 (NT) -- JamesG, Mon, June 06 2022, 20:18:45
QOTD for Monday, June 6, 2022 -- kgp, Sun, June 05 2022, 16:54:49
The following quotation is from Written In my Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 58 Castrametation

“I’ve never had any money!” she snapped, and threw the guinea on the ground at his feet. “I know the names of the coins, but I don’t know what you can buy with them, except - except - what you can buy in a brothel! My cunt is worth six shillings, all right? My mouth is three. And my arse is a pound. But if someone gave me three shillings, I wouldn’t know if I could buy a loaf of bread or a horse with them! I’ve never bought anything!”

“You - you mean - “ He was so flabbergasted, he couldn’t string words into a sentence. “But you have wages. You said - “

“I’ve been a brothel whore since I was ten years old!” Her fists clenched, knuckles sharp under the skin. “I never see my wages! Mrs. Abbot spends them - she says - for my - our - food and clothes. I’ve never had a penny to my name, let alone spent one. And now you hand me . . . that” - she stamped her foot on the guinea, driving it into the ground - ‘and tell me to buy a kettler?!? Where? How? From whom?”

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Replies:
- What a difference Frances' life is and will be because these two met. (NT) -- Kel, Sun, June 05 2022, 18:26:54
  - You’re so right, Kel! Just having Jane list the prices for herself and then saying it started at ten, is heartbreaking. I think Frances is about eleven now, so Jane has already been desperately trying to save her. And probably realizes it’s futile - but she’s using every fiber of her being to try. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Mon, June 06 2022, 2:58:04
QOTD for Saturday June 4, 2022 from Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon -- Kathy in PA, Sat, June 04 2022, 4:38:50

Chapter 16
THE FIRST LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS

“This. It’s ours, d’ye see?”
“Ours”

“The Fraser’s, I mean,” he explained. One large, blunt finger gently prodded the berry. “Strawberries ha’ always been the emblem of the clan - it’s what the name meant, to start with, when a Monsieur Freseliere came across from France wi’ King William that was - and took hold of land in the Scottish mountains for his trouble.”

[skip a few paragraphs]

“It’s a rare plant,” he said, touching the sprig in my open hand. “Flowers, fruit and leaves all together at the one time. The white flowers are for honor, and red fruit for courage - and the green leaves are for constancy.”

My throat felt tight as I looked at him.

“They got that one right,” I said.

He caught my hand in his own, squeezing my fingers around the tiny stem.
“And the fruit is in the shape of a heart,” he said softly, and bent to kiss me.

The wild strawberries are out here now and of course I think of this chapter, where they found the ridge. It was such a happy time and they’re my favorites. I know a novel needs conflict but happy summer days in a meadow sure strike a chord with me.

And I dare any of us to admit we don’t look at “a ripe peach” differently after reading Diana.
Lol.

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Replies:
- I tend to keep away from them now 😆 (NT) -- kgp, Sat, June 04 2022, 17:12:57
QOTD for Friday June 3, 2022 from Dragonfly In Amber by Diana Gabaldon -- Kathy in PA, Fri, June 03 2022, 4:41:51

Chapter 33
THY BROTHERS KEEPER

(At this point Ian was the only person other than Claire who knew what Jack Randall had done to Jamie at Wentworth.)

"He’s only a year older than me. When I was growing, he was always there. Until I was fourteen, there wasna a day went by when I didna see Ian. And even later, after I’d gone to foster wi’ Dougal, and to Leoch, and then later still to Paris, to university--when I’d come back, I’d walk round a corner and there he would be, and it would be like I’d never left. He’d just smile when he saw me, like he always did, and then we’d be walkin’ away together, side by side, ower the fields and the streams, talkin’ of everything.” He sighed deeply, and rubbed a hand through his hair.

“Ian…he’s the part of me that belongs here, that never left,” he said, struggling to explain. “I thought…I must tell him; I didna want to feel…apart. From Ian. From here."

This friendship fills me with good feelings about humanity. Are you fortunate to have someone “guarding your right side?”

Diana’s title is, I think, another gentle nod to her faith. The Cain and Abel brothers - so totally opposite of Jamie and Ian. Is blood thicker than water? Not for these two.

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Replies:
- I have a few people guarding my weak side and i hope they feel the same of me. (NT) -- kgp, Fri, June 03 2022, 7:31:04
  - I’m sure they do. I’ve been bemoaning the lack of communication, the old fashioned kind where you looked people in the eye when you talked - not on the phone or a screen. I feel like we’re isolating more and more, for so many reasons, and I don’t think it’s good. I guess it makes me wonder about the strong bonds of friendship - can they survive and thrive because they’re so important (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sat, June 04 2022, 4:43:35
QOTD for Thursday. June 2, 2022 from “Favorite Recipes. The Laird’s Ladle” created by over 90 Lords and Ladies of Lallybroch, including one by Diana Gabaldon -- Kathy in PA, Thu, June 02 2022, 3:27:43

SLAW DRESSING

Gina Reece. (JustGina)
from my MIL Helen Reece
Arizona, USA

1 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. mustard
1/2 tsp. celery seed

Whisk together all ingredients. Will keep in refrigerator for several weeks. This recipe makes enough for 2 lbs of shredded cabbage. I usually double it and use 4 lbs of cabbage. (Well, I do cheat and buy 4 of those prepackaged shredded cabbage with carrots and red cabbage mixed in.). I make it the night before in a huge bowl and by morning it has shrunken down to a more reasonable sized bowl.

NOTE: This is my “secret recipe” for all the church functions. I always bring coleslaw. It ALWAYS disappears before any made by some other poor soul who brings some inferior slaw. “wink”

I love this cookbook and the church and school ones too. They’re full of recipes I use and ingredients I have. Ours has recipes from all over the world! All have notes from the contributor, so just like the books I get sucked in reading it.

And best of all they raise money for a special cause. Ours is “Desi’s Kids” founded in 2001 as a lasting tribute to the life of Desmond Freedom Sky Rouselle (beloved son of Judie Rousselle) who was taken from this world in a tragic scooter accident in Thailand in 1999. Adopting/sponsoring kids in Third World countries is the mission of Desi’s Kids

I think the most unusual one that I tried and loved so far is Mairghread’s “Pork and Apple Pie.” But I have so many turned down corners they don’t stand out any more 😋

BTW. my son in law who is a very discriminating eater, declared it “Better than Gerrity’s!”

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Replies:
- Kathy, I am a sucker for this fundraising cookbooks. Is this one still available to buy? If so, could you post ordering info? Thank you! (NT) -- Janet D, Thu, June 02 2022, 10:27:31
  - I’m so sorry Janet but I’m sure they’re all gone. It was a limited time thing to get your recipe in and order a cookbook - 15 years ago - I can’t believe it! I wish I had ordered more; and I was still shy and didn’t send a recipe but I use it all the time. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, June 02 2022, 13:20:09
QOTD for Wednesday June 1, 2022 about you and your love affair with Outlander -- Kathy in PA, Tue, May 31 2022, 18:35:16

While looking for a quote I found out that tomorrow is very special to us.
Because it’s . . . . .

June 1 - WORLD OUTLANDER DAY!

On this day, in 1991, Diana Gabaldon’s first masterpiece, Outlander, was published.

Traditionally, on this day people tell how they found Outlander. So I thought I’d give everyone a chance to remember and share ahead of time. 🤔 ❤️

Can’t wait to hear the stories.

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Replies:
- My Mom loaned me the first book. I'll admit that it sat on the shelf for quite some time as the cover just didn't intrigue me. (What's the old saying - Don't judge a book by its cover???) I finally started Outlander and devoured the rest through Drums. Then the waiting game started.... (NT) -- DianaH, Wed, June 01 2022, 7:39:51
- I was on vacation looking for a beach read. Came across Outlander and noticed there were two other books in the series. Great! If I like the first one I'll have more to read! Quickly became obsessed! Found LOL after DOA was out in paperback. I've met the most lovely friends here. (NT) -- kgp, Wed, June 01 2022, 8:46:27
- It was March 1997 and a friend loaned me a book saying "here's a light read". Hahaha! After ignoring for days that fat book on my nightstand, I started in, looked at my clock, it was now 1am !! OMG,I set the book face down to stop the conversation, all was quiet around me, and i thought - where have I been? Felt time-traveled and now I'm back, right in the same spot. Amazing realization. Amazing writing. Found LOL later in 1998 and still love this place, lurking, laughing, posting now and then. Happy Summer all. (NT) -- TeriB, Wed, June 01 2022, 9:17:11
- I was in a chain bookstore, and had been browsing the romance novels for a new book. Saw Outlander, read the blurb, thought "time travel. nope". Went back several times, picked it up each time, finally bought it. Read it. Fell in love. Read it again. And Again. And again. Then Dragonfly in Amber came out....yup, I've been reading since very early and have endured 8 droughtlanders, though I have to say this last one seemed to be the longest! (NT) -- Janet D, Wed, June 01 2022, 11:43:44
- Mine was seeing an AOL blurb about “books that changed your life” and there were so many “Outlander” answers I had to check it out. The librarian said, Oh you mean that time travel one? And I almost passed because I don’t read sci fi. But that old, original cover with the clock and the sword and paid, oh my!?! What the heck? And as you all know the rest is history. This happened right before the Firey Cross came out so I could binge the first five. That’s where I started my Amazon addiction - I NEEDED to own these books not just borrow from the library. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, June 02 2022, 3:34:05
QOTD for Tuesday May31, 2023 from Dragonfly In Amber -- Kathy in PA, Tue, May 31 2022, 6:40:55

Chapter 31
MAIL CALL

His mother, Ellen, had planted the late-blooming rosebush by the door. Its faint, rich scent still wafted up the walls of the house to the bedroom window. It was as though she reached in herself, to touch him lightly in passing. To touch me, too, in welcome.

How are your gardens blooming? Red tulips are my childhood touchstone and they remind me of my Dad and his love of gardening every spring. On another nature note - did anyone else stay up last night to watch the meteor shower?
I set my alarm and got up at midnight and between then and 1:30 I saw 10. One was really neat like a reddish orange fire arrow. When the clouds cover came I was glad to go back to bed!

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Replies:
- I just planted my flowers this past weekend, so those pops of color are brand new, though the peony I planted last year is heavy with buds. The pots by my front & back doors and on the deck are now cheerful and waiting for the bees and humming birds to discover them. Flowers make me happy. (NT) -- DianaH, Tue, May 31 2022, 8:32:04
  - Me too! And I love, love, love peonies. Just bury my face in them and don’t give a fig about the ants. I have some from a wonderful neighbor who died years ago and everyone in the neighborhood remembers her yelling , Stay away from my peenies! And she was so sweet and loved the kids did it without question. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, May 31 2022, 10:41:51
    - Re: QOTD... No sorry. Can't do them right now. (NT) -- JamesG, Tue, May 31 2022, 17:57:51
      - Will you keep posting? What are you cooking up these days? Were you here when we still had a Social Board? Or Polls & Surveys? All kinds of discussions going on. Things slowed down when FB started, although I still can’t find this group on there??? But they all kind of morphed into the QOTD but you know - we’ll talk about anything! (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, May 31 2022, 18:24:51
        
        Will post when have time. And lurking when I get a min. But because of iffy internet on this phone I can't be sure of posting on a daily basis. Benn thinking of doing a food quiz on a day off. Maybe this weekend. (NT) -- JamesG, Tue, May 31 2022, 18:45:12
        
        Yes! We had a blast with your quizzes before. We can start each day with a QOTD but please come just to chat everybody 🎉 (NT) -- Kathy n PA, Wed, June 01 2022, 10:28:31
- I'm from Michigan, and we have had frustrating weather...we have one more night forcast for the 40's. I will be getting my planting done next weekend. My favorite flower is the dandelion, but everyone says I'm weird..... (NT) -- Janet, Tue, May 31 2022, 10:58:28
  - They have so many pretty phases! And I do try to eat some of the greens when they first come out. These cold nights have been weird. After losing them to frost on Mothers Day years ago, I never put out annuals until after Memorial Day. Except pansies, which I love too. About 64 years ago at the Mother Daughter Tea at the church, the favor was an individual pansy plant and I’ve loved them ever since. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, May 31 2022, 12:23:04
QOTD for Monday May 30, 2022. Memorial Day in the states. From the Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon -- Kathy in PA, Mon, May 30 2022, 4:34:19

Chapter 15
THE FLAMES OF DECLARATION

"Many of us died in battle," he said, his voice scarcely audible above the rustle of the fire. "Many died of burning. Many of us starved. Many died at sea, many died of wounds and illness." He paused. "Many died of sorrow."

His eyes looked beyond the firelit circle for a moment, and I thought perhaps he was searching for the face of Abel MacLennan. He lifted his cup then, and held it high in salute for a moment.

"Slàinte!" murmured a dozen voices, rising like the wind. "Slàinte!" he echoed them--then tipped the cup, so that a little of the brandy fell into the flames, where it hissed and burned blue for an instant's time.

He lowered the cup, and paused for a moment, head bent. He lifted his head then, and raised the cup toward Archie Hayes, who stood across the fire from him, round face unreadable, fire sparking from his silver gorget and his father’s brooch.

"While we mourn the loss of those who died, we must also pay tribute to you who fought and suffered with equal valor--and survived."

This is long but we all know it and remember this.

If you haven’t visited Karen Henry’s “Outlandish Observations” you’re missing a lot!
She has events from the books sorted by dates, events, people and all kinds of stuff about Diana, the books, the show and on and on.

So I went there to find a quote for today.

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Replies:
- It fits the day. (NT) -- JamesG, Mon, May 30 2022, 6:51:56
- Thank you, Kathy. Very fitting as we remember and honor those who gave their all. (NT) -- kgp, Mon, May 30 2022, 7:57:35
- Thank you guys for being here too! What is everyone doing? We’ve been eating picnic food all weekend and just lazing around. One of the older dogs has a bum leg so we’re babying her and enjoying some of the best weather so far this year. I love living in PA as each season changes. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Mon, May 30 2022, 9:29:26
  - We are dealing with unseasonably high temperatures. It shouldn't be this hot until late July. Eating junk food and trying not to move more than necessary. (NT) -- kgp, Tue, May 31 2022, 8:39:26
    - Yup! That’s us today, just hangin’ in the shade with an icy coke. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, May 31 2022, 12:25:28
QOTD for Saturday. May 28, 2022. From “Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone” -- Kathy in PA, Sat, May 28 2022, 4:13:38

Chapter 13
“WHAT IS NOT GOOD FOR THE SWARM IS NOT GOOD FOR THE BEE”
(Marcus Aurelius)

Fraser’s Ridge, North Carolina

“It does?” I had some vague notion that the Bible might include some mention of bees—perhaps John Quincy’s blessing came from the Psalms or something? “Er . . . Brianna said that I should come and . . . . . bless the bees.”

“Fine-lookin’ woman, your daughter,” Meyers said, shaking his head on admiration. “Seen precious few woman that size, and none of ‘‘em what you’d call handsome. All pretty lively, though. How did she come to wed a preacher? You wouldn’t think a praying’ man would be able to do right by her — I mean, in the ways of the flesh, as you might—“

“The bees,” I said somewhat louder. “Do you know what I should be saying to them?”

Ever since he casually dropped his drawers to show Claire his hernia, I love when he shows up. A man totally comfortable with “the ways of the flesh”.
😉

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Replies:
- He certainly is entertaining ! Not much use for social convention 🤣 (NT) -- kgp, Sat, May 28 2022, 11:13:43
- Yes, Kathy in PA, he's a great character! I wonder if he's one of DG's "mushrooms" that just pops up in the story. (NT) -- DianaH, Tue, May 31 2022, 8:26:22
Quoter needed for next week!!! -- kgp, Fri, May 27 2022, 4:18:02
The HTML practice board no longer exists.

For italics: a < followed by a capital I followed by a > in front of the phrase. A < followed by a / then a capital I and a > after the phrase will stop the italics.

Similarly, replace the I with a B will put the text in bold.

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Replies:
- The LOL FAQ board has links for other html fun stuff. (NT) -- kgp, Fri, May 27 2022, 4:19:42
  - Thanks! I never knew about this, I’ll try it. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Fri, May 27 2022, 6:39:51
    - After trying it the preview will show you what you have done. Then you can edit it if need be. (NT) -- JamesG, Fri, May 27 2022, 16:43:34
      - I want to try it when I have more time and be able to use it next time. I AM electronically (unashamed) challenged. Lol. BTW James, do you have some time for posting quotes next week? You had fun before! (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sat, May 28 2022, 6:27:07
QOTD for Friday. May 27, 2022. From “A Breath of Snow and Ashes” by Diana Gabaldon -- Kathy in PA, Fri, May 27 2022, 3:10:52

Chapter 18
NAMELESS, HOMELESS, DESTITUTE, AND VERY DRUNK INDEED

Through slitted lids, he saw her observe him closely for a moment, then she leaned over and blew out the candle. Ghostlike in the darkness, she climbed into her bed—the ropes creaked with her weight—and drew up the quilt. A faint sigh came to him over the sounds of the brothel below.

“Er . . . . Arabella?” He didn’t expect thanks, exactly, but he did want SOMETHING from her.

“What?” She sounded resigned, obviously expecting him to say that he’d changed his mind about buggery.

“What’s your real name?”

There was silence for a minute, as she made up her mind. There was nothing tentative about the young woman, though, and when she did reply, it was without reluctance.

“Jane.”

“Oh. Just the one thing more. My coat—“

“I sold it.”

“Oh. Er . . . good night, then.”

There was a prolonged moment, filled with the unspoken thoughts of two people, then an exasperated sigh.

“Come and get into bed, you idiot.”

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Replies:
- And as I set my book down, I realize it’s from “Written In My Own Heart’s Blood” not ABOSAA. So I’ll use the same excuse as when I forget people’s names, “I’m old!!! Ha ha” (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Fri, May 27 2022, 3:38:45
  - Me, too 🤣. I copy and paste quite a bit for the book citations. Poor William. Even after having been through battles etc he's still so young and impulsive here. It gets him in quite a pickle! (NT) -- kgp, Fri, May 27 2022, 4:23:49
    - And it reminded me of Lord John spending Christmas Eve with Nessie. They were with women not whores. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Fri, May 27 2022, 6:38:41
      - Good point, Kathy in PA. Both men see them as women/people, not just by their profession. (NT) -- DianaH, Fri, May 27 2022, 9:28:27
        
        Yes! William really has the best of both worlds in his fathers. So whether it’s nature or nurture or probably a combination of both, he has grown into a fine young man. But I still don’t like him much I kind of felt the same way about Brianna before watching Sophie Skelton’s portrayal so I’m wondering if the same might happen with William. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Fri, May 27 2022, 17:58:08
QOTD for Wednesday May 24, 2022 -- Kathy in PA, Wed, May 25 2022, 2:46:08

Chapter 55
THE VENOM OF THE NORTH WIND

Looks At The Moon swallowed the last of his turkey hash and gave a loud belch of appreciation in Rachel’s direction, then handed her his plate before resuming the story he had been telling between bites. Fortunately it was mostly in Mohawk, as the parts that had been in English appeared to deal with one of his cousins who had suffered following an encounter with an enraged moose.

Rachel took the plate and refilled it, envisioning the light of Christ glowing within their guests. Owing to an orphaned and penurious childhood, she had had considerable practice in such discernment and was able to smile pleasantly at Moon as she placed the newly filled plate at his feet, not to interrupt his gesticulations.

On the good side, she reflected, glancing into the cradle, the men’s conversation had lulled Oggy into a stupor. With a glance that caught Ian’s eye, and a nod toward the cradle, she went out to enjoy a mother’s rarest pleasure, ten minutes alone in the privy.

Emerging relaxed in body and mind, she was disinclined to go back into the cabin. She thought briefly of walking down to the Big House to visit Claire, but Jenny had gone down herself when it had become apparent that the newly arrived Mohawks would spend the night at the Murrays’ cabin.

Rachel was very fond of her mother-in-law, but then she adored Oggy and loved Ian madly - and she really didn’t want the company of any of them just now.

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Replies:
- From “Go Tell The Bees That I’m Gone”. 🙄 (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Wed, May 25 2022, 2:47:07
- Ten minutes alone in the privy, or almost anywhere else, was a rare pleasure indeed! (NT) -- DianaH, Wed, May 25 2022, 13:50:35
  - I know, and once the kids are gone it’s the dogs. Lol (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Wed, May 25 2022, 18:21:12
    - It's ALWAYS the cats. 😺😺😺 (NT) -- JamesG, Thu, May 26 2022, 7:15:58
      - I thought cats didn’t give a damn where you are! If you don’t mind somewhat vulgar humor, Ricky Gervais’ latest special has some really funny differences between dogs and cats. And he is a TOTAL cat person, and animal lover in general. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, May 26 2022, 11:04:52
QOTD for Thursday. May 26, 2022. From “Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone” by Diana Gabaldon -- Kathy in PA, Thu, May 26 2022, 3:34:00

Chapter 122
THE MILITIA RIDES OUT

“Ye did. About a’ Chraobh Ard, I think ye said?”

“Aye. I wanted to ask If ye’d maybe take him as a member of your militia.”

Well, that was a surprise. He’d been expecting a request that Jamie let Cyrus court Frances officially, and he would have said no to that. But this………

“Why?” he asked bluntly.

“He’s sixteen,” Hiram said, shrugging as though this was a complete answer. And it was. A boy that age needed badly to start being a man. And if he hadn’t gotten a man’s proper work to do………

The other side of the matter was plain, too. Hiram Crombie was anxious that his family should now be seen to stand solidly with Jamie, and Cyrus was his offered hostage. THAT’S REASSURING Jamie thought wryly. HE THINKS WE MIGHT WIN.

Jamie spat in his palm and offered it.

“Done,” he said. “Send him to me tomorrow, just afore dawn. I’ll have a horse for him.”

(the caps should be italics)

It’s embarrassing how long I thought that all the people living in America up and decided to have the Revolution. Then, as one, they stood up to England.

Once again I’m learning my own history from Outlander.

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Replies:
- I've learned far more about history by reading novels than I ever did in a textbook! Also, I like "a boy that age badly needed to start being a man." (NT) -- DianaH, Thu, May 26 2022, 5:50:43
  - Yes, that hit me too. We don’t treat/expect that from them but my 6’2” 196 pound, 15 year old grandson is frustrated at how most jobs require 16 year olds. He looks and acts like a man and when I read this I thanked God he is in the 21C. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, May 26 2022, 6:26:45
    - Mow yards. Good pay. Hard work. I ran my own yard service starting at 13yo. (NT) -- JamesG, Thu, May 26 2022, 7:20:19
      - He is doing that (not a big business yet) but is really trying to save for a car and wants more work, especially since he’s a cyber student he has more time. His parents are teaching him the value of being a contributing member of the family. Money isn’t the only form of exchange - a healthy laborer is a good thing too 😉 (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, May 26 2022, 11:01:58
QOTD for Tuesday May 24, 2022 from “Go Tell The Bees That I’m Gone” by Diana Gabaldon -- Kathy in PA, Tue, May 24 2022, 3:32:01

Chapter 131
THUNDERSTORMS ON THE RIDGE

“As I was saying. SIR, I should obey that order promptly. For if you choose to ignore it, the army will have more than sufficient justification to come and burn this house over your head.” He paused, and turned to look deliberately at the door where Fanny had vanished. “Over all your heads.”

Jamie made a quick movement and Ulysses flinched, much to my pleasure. But Jamie had merely snatched the official letter from the desk. He crumpled it into a ball and, turning, hurled it into the hearth. Then turned again on Ulysses, with an expression that made the man stiffen.

He didn’t speak. Ulysses stopped swiftly and plucked the letter out of the smoldering ashes, shook it clean, then turned on his heel and went, back straight as a butler carrying a tray.

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Replies:
- Did anyone see this coming? I wasn’t totally shocked that Jocasta and he were lovers (Hell hath no fury. . . . and Jocasta had a lot of fury) but I was surprised at this. But as I’m writing this, I think Ulysses probably hated the lot of them. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, May 24 2022, 10:45:37
- This was totally from left field. I would have thought Ulysses would have gone to Canada. To have him turn up like this was a shock. What a **** he turned out to be. (NT) -- kgp, Tue, May 24 2022, 14:59:13
  - Didn’t you love Claire taking pleasure at his flinching? (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, May 24 2022, 18:03:21
    - I do. I think I would be thinking unkind thoughts in his direction (NT) -- kgp, Tue, May 24 2022, 20:20:01
QOTD for Saturday May 21, 2022 from “Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone” by Diana Gabaldon -- Kathy in PA, Sat, May 21 2022, 3:34:50

Chapter 155
Quaker Wedding Redux

“If that’s effing Benjamin Cleveland . . . .” I began, getting my feet under me. Jamie stopped me with a hand on my shoulder.

“No, it’s not”. Something in his voice brought me slowly to my feet. I set my plate down beneath the rocking chair and moved next to Jamie. He was steady enough, but his right hand was folded hard round the head of his stick, the knuckles white.

People were turning to look at the rider, distracted from their conversations. Jamie stood stock-still, his face unreadable.

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.”

And now we wait 😨.

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Replies:
- And now we wait. I wonder why he rode several days to the ridge. Thank you for a fun week!! (NT) -- kgp, Sun, May 22 2022, 7:56:22
  - I think he knew Lord John was captured on the ship. But I don’t remember how he knew. I was thrilled that he came to Jamie for help. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sun, May 22 2022, 8:30:34
- I wondered how the rest of the ridge would react to WIlliam. The family all knows and they get along well, but the rest suddenly see this young man who looks just like Jamie. He is clearly younger than Bree, so there might be questions how Jamie managed to have a child with someone other than Claire between Bree and when they arrive at the ridge. How will WIlliam respond as he is still dealing with who he is, by name/title and by blood. -- Kel, Mon, May 23 2022, 18:05:38
  - Good ones, Kel! I was always worried about Willis accepting Jamie, never thought about how he’d seem to the Ridge. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, May 24 2022, 18:01:50
QOTD for Monday, May 23, 2022. From “Written In My Own Heart’s Blood” by Diana Gabaldon -- Kathy in PA, Mon, May 23 2022, 2:58:43

Chapter 58
CASTRAMETATION

Did you know what that meant?

I didn’t and spellcheck had NO suggestions. Lol. It is the planning and constructing of a military camp. I probably won’t remember it again, but there are a lot of words that Diana introduced that have helped me with crossword puzzles and Jeopardy.

Found the quote on a turned down page in my book and when I went for the chapter number and title, it doesn’t really have anything to do with this little quote. I’ll have to reread.

I remember so much from the first five books, but forget a lot from the rest. I don’t know if it’s because I’m older or more just haven’t reread or listened to them as much.

We’ve had two sweltering days here in PA but this morning is clear and beautiful. The trees are all leafed out and the flower gardens are glorious. As much as I get sick of winter, it sure makes spring and summer so welcome.
Here you are:

Bloody fucking Ian Murray. Fucking Scot and sometimes Mohawk. His bloody fucking COUSIN, which made it all that much worse.

And then there was Rachel. . . . . Murray had taken him to Dr. Hunter and Rachel. He drew a deep, ragged breath, remembering her worn indigo gown, hanging on its peg in the Hunters’ house. Grabbing a handful of the cloth and pressing it to his face, breathing in her scent as though starved of air.

That was where Murray had met Rachel himself. And now she was BETROTHED to that—-

The caps are supposed to be italics but I don’t know how to and wanted to let you know Diana emphasized those words.

I was always team Ian, how about you?

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Replies:
- Always team Ian, loved him from the moment he was introduced to us, I love Willy too but Ian and Rachel BELONG to each other. (NT) -- Cait, Mon, May 23 2022, 14:29:41
  - I agree! They’re my favorite couple. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Mon, May 23 2022, 18:30:44
- I feel for William. He feels betrayed by everyone. I hope Anne Endicott shows up again for him. (NT) -- kgp, Tue, May 24 2022, 15:00:55
Quoters are needed!!!! No one is signed up for the next two weeks. ☹ -- kgp, Sun, May 22 2022, 7:57:20
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Replies:
- What the heck, I’ll do another week - as long as I don’t have to have a theme. 😊. Let me go find something. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sun, May 22 2022, 8:08:59
  - Bless you!! (NT) -- kgp, Sun, May 22 2022, 16:00:08
QOTD for Sunday, May 22, 2022. From Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon -- Kathy in PA, Sun, May 22 2022, 8:28:40

Chapter 70
The Gathering

“When you make bashed neeps,” I said. “be sure to boil the tops along with the turnips. Then save the pot liquor and give it to the children; you take some too-it’s good for your milk.

Maisri Buchanan pressed her smallest child to her breast and nodded solemnly, committing my advice to memory. I could not persuade most of the new immigrants either to eat fresh greens or to feed the go their families, but now and then I found opportunity to introduce a bit of vitamin C surreptitiously into their usual diet - which consisted for the most part of oatmeal and venison.

This is actually from Theresa Carle-Sanders’s “Outlander Kitchen” Cookbook.
She used this quote with her recipe for vegetable stock. When I thought of coming up with a quote quickly, I grabbed this book for an idea. That and her second book “Outlander Kitchen. To The New World and Beyond” are a feast to read and look at the beautiful pictures. That all recipes are based on the books and she uses the relevant quote for each is really super.

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QOTD for Friday, May 20, 2022. From “Warriors” published 2010 which includes a story by Diana Gabaldon -- Kathy in PA, Fri, May 20 2022, 3:08:37

From “The Custom of the Army

It was more the time of day than the child’s presence that was unusual; his brother often did take his daughter out, with the feeble excuse that the child needed air. His wife accused him of wanting to show the baby off - she was beautiful - but Grey thought the cause somewhat more straightforward.

His ferocious, autocratic, dictatorial brother, Colonel of his own regiment, terror of both his own troops and his enemies - had fallen in love with his daughter. The regiment would leave for it’s new posting within a month’s time. Hal simply couldn’t bear to have her out of his sight.

This quote really reminded me of my Dad because he always made me feel special. There were five of us and the others teased me that I was his favorite but it was more we shared the same humor, love of singing (anywhere, often, some missing words, offkey. Lol), gardening and we’re both Geminis. Somehow being a Gemini was very cool to my Dad so he’d ask if he thought someone was a member of that special club. He could tell by their personality, he thought. He was an insurance man back in the day when you visited your customers for the monthly payments. One of his customers had a small diner and he’d take me there for Boston Cream Pie now and then, which was the only place I had it until I was grown up. It just hit me that maybe he was showing me off 😥
Tell me about your Dads.

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QOTD for Thursday, May 19, 2022. From “A Breath of Snow and Ashes” written by Diana Gabaldon -- Kathy in PA, Thu, May 19 2022, 3:54:25

Chapter 6
Ambush

Roger leaned forward and sniffed at his offspring’s red-stained lips.
“Cherry Bounce, at a guess. There’s a vat of it, round by the barn.”

“Holy God!” She’d never drunk Cherry Bounce, but Mrs Bug had told her how to make it: “Tak’ the juice of a bushel o’ cherries, dissolve twenty-four pound o’ sugar over it, then ye put it into a forty-gallon cask and fill it up wi’ whisky,”

“He’s all right.” Roger patted her arm. “Is that Germain over there?”

“It is.” She leaned over to check, but Germain was peacefully asleep, also smiling. “That Cherry Bounce must be good stuff.”

Roger laughed.

“It’s terrible. Like industrial-strength cough syrup. I will say it makes ye very cheerful, though”

I can’t remember if it was here or at Outlandish Voices but a few people made Cherry Bounce. Did you ever try it?

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Replies:
- I think a few made smaller batches. I've never tried it but might. Cherries are available now. (NT) -- kgp, Thu, May 19 2022, 5:45:00
  - I love cherries but the thought of industrial strength cough medicine gags me. But a Cherry Bounce party does sound like it would be a blast, until everybody fell asleep 😵‍💫 (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, May 19 2022, 7:19:17
    - Seems like one drink would be more than enough of something that cloying. One to try then back to Scotch. (NT) -- kgp, Thu, May 19 2022, 16:05:14
QOTD for Wednesday May 18, 2022 from “Go Tell The Bees That I’m Gone” by Diana Gabaldon -- Kathy in PA, Wed, May 18 2022, 3:27:17

Chapter 37
Maneuvers Beginning With The Letter “V”

“Ye want to know what’s wrong wi’ me?” he asked at last. His voice was pitched low, but it wasn’t calm. He straightened up, looming in the moonlight.

“I swear to myself I will put . . . .this . . . .thing . . . .out o’ my head, and mostly I manage. But then that sodomite sends me a letter, out o’ the blue - just as though it never happened! And it’s all back again.” His voice shook and he stopped for a second, shaking his head violently, as though to clear it.

“And when I think of it, and then I see you . . . I want to have ye, then and there. Ye rouse me, whether ye’re slicing cucumbers or bathing naked in the creek wi’ your hair loose. I want ye bad, Sassenach. But HE’s there in my head, and if-if—“. Lost for words, he smashed a fist down on the fence rail and I felt the wood tremble by my shoulder.

“If I canna stand the notion that you and he were fucking me behind my back, how do ye think I can stand it to think that you and I are sharing a bed wi’ HIM in it?”

I started trying to find a quote for our old tradition of Hump Day Wednesday. When I came across this I realized it was about sex but, in true Diana fashion, it was real. Love, hate and jealousy - such a mix of emotions to make sense of.

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Replies:
- Such a complicated triangle. Interesting, though, that Jamie didn't really go off about King Louis or Frank, but John brings this out in him. (NT) -- kgp, Wed, May 18 2022, 11:18:38
  - Kathy in PA, you bring up a good point! I wonder if it's because he likes/loves and respects John, considers him a true friend, so this "betrayal" strikes more to his heart than the King or Frank, who he didn't really know. Much worse to be cuckold by a friend than a stranger? (NT) -- DianaH, Wed, May 18 2022, 12:08:33
    - And the mixed emotions of really liking John in spite of all the logical reasons he shouldn’t. Also because she was drunk and chose it. In spite of the awfulness of him saying it, Jamie DOES know alcohol loosens her inhibitions. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Wed, May 18 2022, 13:02:38
      - And that they were both 'f***ing him'. He's known of John's attraction for a very long time. Now that he's bedded Claire he has a very real notion of what Jamie is like in bed. John is a 'beast' according to Percy. Claire is also uninhibited when drunk. (NT) -- kgp, Wed, May 18 2022, 16:54:35
        
        Yes. Jamie would not take that as a compliment 🙄 (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Wed, May 18 2022, 16:58:59
QOTD for Tuesday May 17, 2022. From “Go Tell The Bees That I’m Gone” by Diana Gabaldon -- Kathy in PA, Tue, May 17 2022, 3:28:46

Chapter 15
Which Old Witch

“Stop that,” the woman said sharply. “Look at me.”

“Why?”

“You are a very impertinent child and your father should beat you.”

Mandy went very red in the face and scrambled to her feet, standing on her new seat.

“You go away!” she said. “I fwush you down the toilet!” She slapped her hand at the air, miming a handle. “WHOOSH!”

“What in the name of perdition do you mean by that, you wicked child?”
The woman’s face was growing rather red, too. I had stopped in fascination, but now set down the buckets, feeling that I had better take a hand before things escalated. Too late.

“I put you in the toilet and I fwush you like POOP!” Mandy shouted, stamping her feet. Quick as a snake, the woman’s hand shot out and cracked against Mandy’s cheek.

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Replies:
- Oh goodness this reminds me of my sister and my great-grandmother, Grandma Ruby had dementia but sometimes she'd snap into reality long enough to remind us of her fighting spirit. She once watched my sister mouth off to my mom on her front porch, she stood up from her rocker, walked to my sister and slapped her right in her face and said "you're an impertinent child, and if your mother won't teach you better I will. I knew an impertinent girl once who died in her sleep, remember that". *G* I shouldn't laugh but I'm pretty sure my sister never forgot it, and she always was very hard on our mother.. (NT) -- Cait, Tue, May 17 2022, 7:03:46
  - They really used to lay the scare on kids in the day, even the fairy tales are grim 😉. Can you imagine a modern granny saying that? I never would. Lol (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, May 17 2022, 9:45:01
- As Bree predicted a few chapters earlier, Mandy referencing a toilet! She's a sassy one. (NT) -- DianaH, Tue, May 17 2022, 10:11:52
  - Your comment about Mandy’s modern stuff made me remember this quote, which I love. Go spunky girls!! And throw some water on Mrs. Cunningham to see if she melts. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, May 17 2022, 13:21:01
QOTD for Monday, May 16, 2022 from “Go Tell The Bees That I’m Gone” by Diana Gabaldon -- Kathy in PA, Sun, May 15 2022, 18:14:46

Chapter 4
“The Women will Ha’a Fit”

“Who - “ she began, and then her eyes fell on Brianna, and her mouth dropped open.

“Blessed Bride protect us,” she said mildly, but her eyes were warm, blue, and slanted like Jamie’s, smiling up at Brianna. “The giants have come. And your husband, too, they say, and him even taller than yourself, lass. And ye’ve bairns, too, they say-all of them springing’ up like weeds, I reckon?”

“Toadstools,” Bree said, laughing, and bent down to hug her diminutive aunt. Jenny smelled of goats, fresh wool, porridge, and toasted yeast bread, and a faint scent in her hair and clothes that Bree had long forgotten but recognized instantly as the soap Jenny had made at Lallybroch, with honey and lavender and a Highland herb that had no name in English.

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Replies:
- Oops, Monday May 16, 2022 😳 (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sun, May 15 2022, 18:15:41
- I loved this scene - "The giants have come!" :-) (NT) -- DianaH, Mon, May 16 2022, 9:32:10
  - That’s the part that grabbed me too! Love her or hate her, Jenny has a way with words. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Mon, May 16 2022, 10:38:02
    - She's quick witted, but I will be relieved if she leaves the Ridge. (NT) -- kgp, Mon, May 16 2022, 18:45:58
      - She’s definitely one of those people that is sure of her “rightness.” I don’t think there could be a better DIL than Rachel for her. Rachel answers EVERYTHING with such calm collectness. It will be interesting to see if she can temper Jenny. (NT) -- Kathy, Tue, May 17 2022, 3:31:55
QOTD for Sunday, May 15, 2022. From “Go Tell The Bees That I’m Gone” written by Diana Gabaldon. -- Kathy in PA, Sun, May 15 2022, 3:44:42
Chapter 10
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme

Bree took a deep breath, looking once more at the children.

“It’s not that we want them to forget,” she said quietly. “There were - are - will be - people and things they loved from …….. our time. And we don’t know whether they might sometime ……. eventually……… go back. But we have to be careful which memories from that time we keep among us, talk about. Remember.” I saw her long throat bob slightly as she swallowed.
“It probably wouldn’t cause any trouble if Mandy told people about toilets, for instance- especially if I built one,” she added, breaking into a brief smile. “But there are other things.”

“Aye,” said Jamie, softly. “I suppose there are.” He laid a hand on my thigh, and I covered it. He could see what I saw: the look on their faces, Roger and Brianna both. I’d seen it in the days near the end of World War II, he’d seen it in the months and years after Culloden. The look of exiles, necessity covering mourning, bravery turning away from memories that would never be left behind, no matter how deeply they were buried.

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Replies:
- This was an open the book quote and when I first started reading I thought it nicely followed Cindy’s theme of keeping memories alive. But then the next paragraph immediately made me think of the Ukrainians. It’s so easy to get lost in these books because they’re just so real without overdoing it. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sun, May 15 2022, 17:58:49
- Can you imagine Mandy talking about airplanes, and how they've flown in them? If someone from the Ridge tell her it was nonsense, the "feisty wee baggage" would be right there insisting it was true. And should she then entreat her parents to back her up, how would THAT go?? (NT) -- DianaH, Mon, May 16 2022, 9:28:45
QOTD for Saturday, May 14, 2022 -- CindyG, Fri, May 13 2022, 21:05:02
The following quote is from Seven Stones to Stand or Fall by Diana Gabaldon, “Besieged.” Copyright ©2017 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“‘But as to why—‘ His mother refilled his glass, and hers again.
‘It’s a duty. The book—should it be a book—I’ll have it printed and bound, but privately. It’s for you and the other boys, for the children—for Cromwell and Seraphina,’ she added softly, and her lips quivered for an instant.
‘Mother,’ he said quietly, and laid his hand on hers. She bent her head and put her free hand on his, and he saw how the tendrils of her hair, still thick, once blond like his own but mostly silver now, escaped from their plait and curled on her neck.
‘A duty,’ she said, holding his hand between her own. ‘The duty of a survivor. Not everyone lives to be old, but if you do, I think you owe it to those who didn’t. To tell the stories of those who shared your journey…for as long as they could.’”

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Replies:
- I'd read that book (NT) -- DonnaF, Sat, May 14 2022, 10:40:30
  - So would I! I never picked up on Benedicta’s writing as a historical account written by the woman behind the “successful man.” You know how they say history is written by the victors? We woman, no offense meant James, really are often the power behind the throne. Is anyone watching Gaslit? Wow! I was 16-17 when that was happening and only remember the parody of Martha Mitchell. She was a HERO, not a buffoon. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sun, May 15 2022, 3:28:15
    - Not often... ALWAYS!! And always keeping us men in line. (NT) -- JamesG, Sun, May 15 2022, 14:02:01
Quoter needed for next week!!! -- kgp, Thu, May 12 2022, 11:55:57
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Replies:
- If you don’t mind the “let the book fall open” theme I’ll start Sunday 😊 (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Fri, May 13 2022, 9:02:45
  - That would be fantastic, thank you!! (NT) -- kgp, Fri, May 13 2022, 9:47:15
    - Thank YOU and CINDY for every month. I can’t be the only chatty Lady of Lallybroch out there, come on friends? Let’s chat about anything - usually the books lead to that- they tie in with life so well. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Fri, May 13 2022, 12:24:11
      - The Boards used to be our social media. I miss those days. Sharing life together. (NT) -- kgp, Sat, May 14 2022, 7:52:39
        
        Me too. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sun, May 15 2022, 3:23:56
QOTD for Friday, May 13, 2022 -- CindyG, Thu, May 12 2022, 21:41:00
The following quote is from Seven Stones to Stand or Fall by Diana Gabaldon, “Besieged.” Copyright ©2017 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“‘Ah,’ he said. ‘I wondered whether perhaps you meant it for publication. Many’—he choked off the words ‘old people’ just in time, replacing them with—‘people who’ve led interesting lives choose to, er, share their adventures in print.’
That made her laugh. It was no more than a low, soft laugh, but nonetheless it brought tears to her eyes, and he thought it was because he’d inadvertently cracked the shell she’d built over the course of the last weeks and let her own feelings bubble back to the surface. The thought made him happy, but he looked down to hide it, pulled a clean handkerchief from his sleeve, and handed it to her without comment.
‘Thank you, dear,’ she said, and, having dabbed her eyes, shook her head.
‘Persons who have truly interesting lives never write about them, John—or not with an eye to publication, at least. The ability to keep their own counsel is one of the things that makes them interesting and is also what causes other truly interesting people to confide in them.’”

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Replies:
- That is a very interesting and mindful thought to start the day. Sometimes I forget about just how many great women are in this story. Benedicts’s book would surely be irresistible reading. These conversations made me think they know but respect each other’s private lives. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Fri, May 13 2022, 4:18:38
  - I agree, Benedicta's story would be very interesting. She had Paul and Edgar with her first husband who was quite dashing but she was 15 when she married him. (NT) -- kgp, Fri, May 13 2022, 9:49:47
    - I forgot all about them. I knew she had been married before. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Fri, May 13 2022, 12:22:00
QOTD for Thursday, May 12, 2022 -- CindyG, Wed, May 11 2022, 20:29:16
The following quote is from Seven Stones to Stand or Fall by Diana Gabaldon, “Besieged.” Copyright ©2017 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“‘Your…manuscript,’ John said awkwardly. His mother came back abruptly from wherever she had been, her eyes alert but calm.
‘Oh,’ she said. ‘You read it?’
‘No, no,’ he said, embarrassed. ‘I…I only wondered…why are you writing your memoirs? I mean, that is what it is, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, it is,’ she said, looking faintly amused. ‘It would have been quite all right if you’d read it—you may read it whenever you like, in fact, though perhaps it would be better to wait until I’ve finished. If I do.’”

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Replies:
- My journaling has been more like Farmers Almanac, I record nature things about the garden and birds, when we start and let the coal stove go out, special events in the family but nothing personal. Not that I have scandalous memoirs, but I wouldn’t many of my deep thoughts open to who knows who. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Fri, May 13 2022, 9:07:10
QOTD for Tuesday, May 10, 2022 -- CindyG, Mon, May 09 2022, 22:23:23
The following quote is from Seven Stones to Stand or Fall by Diana Gabaldon, “Besieged.” Copyright ©2017 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“‘What did you mean, Tom? About my mother leaving her story behind—a book of some sort?’
‘Well, I don’t know as whether it might be a book,’ Tom said dubiously. ‘It’s not one yet, but the servants say she writes some of it every day, so sooner or later…’
‘She’s writing a book?’
‘So Dolores said, me lord. It’s in there.’ He turned and lifted his chin toward the secretaire that Grey had seen his mother use—Christ, had it been only this morning?
Consumed by curiosity, Grey got up and opened the secretaire. Sure enough, there was a small stack of written pages, neatly bound with blue tape. The page on top was a title page—evidently she did mean it to be a book. It said, simply, My Life.”

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Replies:
- I've thought of doing this from time to time. My grandparents and their parents left behind fascinating journals of every day stuff. I'm sure they thought at the time that no one would ever want such rubbish. (NT) -- kgp, Tue, May 10 2022, 7:12:17
- I love this, I try to journal but I'm terrible at keeping it up, but I try, and I've often thought about writing down more. It's been a hell of trip so far *G* (NT) -- Cait, Wed, May 11 2022, 19:12:14
QOTD for Wednesday, May 11, 2022 -- CindyG, Tue, May 10 2022, 22:00:12
The following quote is from Seven Stones to Stand or Fall by Diana Gabaldon, “Besieged.” Copyright ©2017 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“Grey was torn between amusement, curiosity, and a certain unease. To the best of his knowledge, his mother had led a rather adventurous life—and he was well aware that his knowledge of that life was limited, by unspoken mutual consent. There were a lot of things he didn’t want her to know about his own life; he could respect her secrets. Though, if she was writing them down…
He touched the manuscript lightly, then closed the lid of the secretaire.”

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Replies:
- Is it his mom or Hal's wife that was the spy raised by her daddy. I seem to recall that it was Hal that went off to marry her in another country after a brief "encounter" on the floor of the study. (NT) -- JamesG, Wed, May 11 2022, 1:20:13
  - Yes JamesG, that was Hal and Minnie. (NT) -- DianaH, Wed, May 11 2022, 7:40:39
QOTD for Monday, May 9, 2022 -- CindyG, Sun, May 08 2022, 21:06:48
The following quote is from Seven Stones to Stand or Fall by Diana Gabaldon, “Besieged.” Copyright ©2017 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“‘Is she ill?’ he asked.
‘I hope not. She said in her last letter that there was an outbreak of some sort of ague in the city, but she herself was in good health.’
‘Fine.’ Tom had come back with the brandy bottle, and John poured himself a small glass. ‘I trust she’s enjoying the weather.’ He raised an eyebrow at his stepfather, who sighed deeply and put his hands on his knees.
‘I’m sure she is. The problem, my boy, is that the British Navy is on its way to lay siege to the city of Havana, and I really think it would be a good idea if your mother wasn’t in the city when they get there.’”

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Replies:
- A very good idea! (NT) -- kgp, Mon, May 09 2022, 6:18:40
- Yeah, maybe that wouldn't be so good.... (NT) -- DianaH, Mon, May 09 2022, 9:37:03
- Wasn’t he the perfect match for Lady B? Sort of …… honorable but bumbling, loving enough to give her complete freedom (a woman off to Jamaica!?!) and old military so he wanted to be her knight in shining armor - but wisely left it up to Hal and mostly John. John rescues a lot of people, you know? And Tom 😊 (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Mon, May 09 2022, 12:32:42
  - Benedicta definitely deserves someone as sweet as Sir George. (NT) -- kgp, Tue, May 10 2022, 7:11:04
QOTD for Sunday, May 8, 2022 -- CindyG, Sat, May 07 2022, 20:41:25
The following quote is from Seven Stones to Stand or Fall by Diana Gabaldon, “Besieged.” Copyright ©2017 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“‘I am packing to leave, yes,’ John said, the feeling of wariness developing small, prickling feet inside his stomach. ‘I’m meant to sail tonight, for Charles Town.’
‘Thank God. I was afraid I shouldn’t make it in time.’ The general breathed audibly for a moment, then gathered himself. ‘It’s your mother.’
‘What’s my mother?’ The wariness turned instantly to a flare of alarm. ‘What’s happened to her?’
‘Nothing, yet. Or at least I sincerely hope not.’ The general patted the air in a vague gesture of reassurance that failed singularly to reassure.
‘Where the devil is she? And what in God’s name is she up to now?’ Grey spoke with more heat than filial respect, but panic made him edgy.
‘She’s in Havana,’ General Stanley said. ‘Minding your cousin Olivia.’”

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Replies:
- It’s no wonder Lord John can’t help liking Claire. He had a such a strong, loving mother. I think Lady (arghhh I can’t remember her name) knew he was gay, don’t you? (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sun, May 08 2022, 13:20:44
  - Lady Benedicta. I just love her character, and since it’s Mother’s Day. . . Diana never really tells us if she knew, but I think she did. Of course, she never would have mentioned it. (NT) -- CindyG, Sun, May 08 2022, 21:10:42
    - Even so, at their social stratum, as long as he is discreet it would never be acknowledged, especially if he takes a wife. Marrying Isabel when he did I think was a means not only of caring for William but for getting out of London for a while. He'd been involved as a diplomat and part of the Black Chamber, but there's a big gap in his story between Scottish Prisoner and Voyager. (NT) -- kgp, Mon, May 09 2022, 6:16:58
      - I still don’t have Lord John’s timeline set in my head. I should print it out. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Mon, May 09 2022, 12:45:36
  - I appreciate that LJG is never put off by strong women. We've seen his interactions with his mother, Claire, Bree, and his admiration, even during times of extreme frustration, comes through. (NT) -- DianaH, Mon, May 09 2022, 9:36:23
QOTD for Friday, May 6, 2022 I thought I had posted last night. Must have dreamed it. Feeling very drained theses days. -- kgp, Fri, May 06 2022, 8:09:54
The following quotation is from Written In my Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 55 Vestal Virgins

“She hummed with interest as I gingerly unveiled Mrs. Peabody’s nether regions, which were thickly forested but still identifiably - very identifiably - feminine.

“When the cervix - that’s the opening to the womb - when it begins to open in order for the baby to come out, there’s often some blood and mucus released, but it’s quite harmless. I don’t see any sign of it yet, though.” That heartened me.

“Oh,” said Dottie, rather faintly. But she leaned intently over my shoulder as I carefully inserted my freshly washed hand, “Oh!” Dottie said, in tones of extreme revelation. “That’s where it goes!”

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Replies:
- Just using the word “gingerly” set up the sorta gross descriptions that followed. This was the drunk woman ready to give birth, right? And isn’t funny how very little Dottie seemed to know about female anatomy? (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Fri, May 06 2022, 8:45:40
  - I believe Dotting admits to self exploration but did not know that tab A went into slot B. She has led a protected, privileged life. (NT) -- kgp, Fri, May 06 2022, 10:43:35
    - True and early exploration doesn’t need to go that far to be fun! 💥 (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Fri, May 06 2022, 10:51:45
      - Lol!! 😳🚀 (NT) -- kgp, Fri, May 06 2022, 12:26:40
        
        😉 👍 ❤️. LOL (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Fri, May 06 2022, 14:36:16
      - 🤐🤐🤐🤐🤐 (NT) -- JamesG, Sat, May 07 2022, 18:58:43
QOTD for Saturday, May 7, 2022 -- kgp, Sat, May 07 2022, 4:26:20
The following quotation is from Written In my Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 56 Stinking Papist

”You are a stinking Papist, and your baptismal name is James.” He froze as though shot in the back. He bloody remembered it. The stables at Helwater, the warm smell of horses and mash, and the prickle of straw that worked its way through stockings. Cold stone floors. He’s been crying . . . Why? All he recalled was a huge wash of desolation, total helplessness. The end of the world. Mac leaving.

He took a long, slow breath and pressed his lips together. Mac. The word didn’t bring a face; he couldn’t remember what Mac had looked like. He’s been big, that was all. Bigger than Grandfather or any of teh footmen or the other grooms. Safety. A sense of constant happiness like a soft, worn blanket.

“Shit,” he whispered, closing his eyes.

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Replies:
- I’m going to be so happy when William and Jamie bond. And then all of them as family or family by choice. There are so many interconnections already that will be redefined. Ian and William 😏 for a big one. William is going to learn to redefine “pride” I think. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sat, May 07 2022, 6:22:22
- Did everybody see the actor for William? Charles Vandervaart - not sure how to post pic, but Doug said “I wonder how long it will take for them to start calling him Vanderfart”. Lol (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sat, May 07 2022, 6:28:01
Quoters needed for the weeks of May 15, 22, and 29. Share your favorite passages!! -- kgp, Thu, May 05 2022, 16:31:30
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Replies:
- Here’s a challenge 😉. I’ll take a week if someone else will too? (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Fri, May 06 2022, 8:46:38
QOTD for Thursday, May 5, 2022 -- kgp, Thu, May 05 2022, 5:36:58
The following quotation is from Written In my Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 54 In Which I Meet A Turnip

“Such a pleasure to make your acquaintance, ma’am,” he said cordially. “Your husband obliges us extremely by allowing us the delight of your company. I —”

Lee stopped abruptly in mid-sentence – and mid-bite, staring at Rollo, who had unobtrusively moved closer and was now standing no more than a couple of feet from the general. Given the low bench on which Lee was sitting and Rollo’s size, this proximity placed them roughly eye-to-eye.

“Why is that dog looking at me like that?” Lee demanded, swinging around to glare at Ian.

“He’s waitin’ to see what ye drop next, I expect,” Ian said, chewing placidly.

“If I were you, sir,” Jamie put in politely, “I’d drop something quickly.”

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Replies:
- Rollo reminds me of my oldest Tom cat (Bear). He always has to have a bite even if it is something we both know he want eat. Love him.😻😻😻 ... And miss Rollo. (NT) -- JamesG, Thu, May 05 2022, 7:31:34
  - As long as it comes from you, he knows it’s love. We rescued a kind of crazy older spaniel (who I love too!) but she is so weird about treats. Doesn’t ever really like them but wants to get them then she just drops it. I’m glad Rollo’s pup is here because if he’s anything like Rollo he’ll be super too. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, May 05 2022, 9:03:00
- Ha ha! How to make friends and influence dogs - FOOD! (NT) -- DianaH, Fri, May 06 2022, 7:31:14
  - That works on me too. 😋😋😋 (NT) -- JamesG, Fri, May 06 2022, 8:11:57
QOTD for Wednesday, May 4, 2022 -- kgp, Wed, May 04 2022, 7:14:02
The following quotation is from Written In my Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 53 Taken At A Disadvantage

“Turn your backs,” he said curtly. “I’m getting out.”

They didn’t. Gritting his teeth, he turned his own back on them and deliberately climbed the bank, feeling the itch of four interested eyes focused on his dripping backside. He grabbed his shirt and wrestled his way into it, feeling that even that much shelter would enable him to carry on the conversation in a more dignified manner. Or maybe he’d just tuck his breeches and boots under his arm and leave without further chat.

The sound of heavy splashing whilst he was still enveloped in the folds of his shirt made him whirl round, head popping free just in time to see Madras lunge up out of the creek on the girl’s side, lips already reaching for the apple Jane was holding out to him.

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Replies:
- Sorry, William, your dignity is NOT a prime concern here, LOL! (NT) -- DianaH, Wed, May 04 2022, 7:47:39
  - Can't blame them for enjoying the view! (NT) -- kgp, Wed, May 04 2022, 11:52:46
    - He actually thought they’d listen to him?? 😂 (NT) -- Kathy in Pa, Wed, May 04 2022, 18:32:19
      - He didn't know them that well yet.😂😂 (NT) -- JamesG, Thu, May 05 2022, 7:34:34
QOTD for Tuesday, May 3, 2022 -- kgp, Mon, May 02 2022, 18:17:11
The following quotation is from Written In my Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 52 Morphia Dreams

“Just trying to decide whether being accidentally disemboweled would be worse than sleeping in my stays,” I whispered, cupping his head. It was warm, the soft hair at his nape damp to the touch.

“My aim’s not that bad, Sassenach,” he said, pausing in his labors for an instant. “I’d only risk stabbin’ ye in the heart.”

As it was, he accomplished his goal without recourse to weapons, gently jerking the know loose with his teeth until he could finish the job with his fingers, opening the heavy seamed canvas stays like a clamshell to expose the whiteness of my shift. I sighed like a grateful mollusk opening at high tide, plucking the fabric out of the creases the stays had made in my flesh. Jamie stayed where he was, his face near my breasts, rubbing his hands gently over my sides.

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Replies:
- Reading this makes me think that removing my bra on a hot summer day is minor in comparison to stays and a shift! (NT) -- DianaH, Tue, May 03 2022, 7:12:15
  - Diana, we must be “sisters from another mother”, I agree with you so often! That’s exactly what I thought about too. Stays must have been horrible. Today for the first time this season I actually broke a sweat walking the dog. Reading this and imagining sweating through stays, ugh. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, May 03 2022, 19:47:07
    - traveling for miles, sleeping in them - I can't imagine! (NT) -- kgp, Wed, May 04 2022, 7:15:17
    - Lallysisters for sure, Kathy in PA! :-) (NT) -- DianaH, Wed, May 04 2022, 7:45:24
I have a free brand new unopened hard cover copy of “Bees” looking for a home. It’s a long story but please send me an email at kathybarlow2991@gmail.com if you don’t have one. 😊 -- Kathy in PA, Sat, April 30 2022, 5:24:16
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Replies:
- Shite! didn’t proof email. kathybarlow1991@gmail.com (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sat, April 30 2022, 5:25:39
- Found a fellow Lady to give it a home. ❤️ (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, May 03 2022, 7:54:54
QOTD for Monday, May 2, 2022 -- sorry so late -- kgp, Mon, May 02 2022, 12:08:50
The following quotation is from Written In my Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 51 Scrounging

He was distracted from his catalog of meager blessings by a small, hungry gulp near his ear. Followed by a young, low voice.

“Mister . . . if ye’re not meanin’ to eat that journeycake yourself . . . “

“What? Oh . . . yes. Of course.”

He struggled to sit up, one hand pressed protectively over his bad eye, and turned his head to see a boy of eleven or twelve sitting on the log just beside him. He has his hand inside his sack, rummaging for the food, when the boy let out a gasp, and he looked up, vision wavering in the firelight, to discover himself face-to-face with Claire’s grandson, fair hair in a tousled halo round his head and a look of horror on his face.

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Replies:
- I love the way Diana makes unlikely situations SO believable. Germaine running into Lord John is a bit of a stretch but I love any interaction with John so I take it hook, line and sinker 😉 (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Mon, May 02 2022, 17:35:00
  - I think they make a good team! (NT) -- kgp, Mon, May 02 2022, 18:18:42
    - I absolutely agree, kgp! I love these two together! (NT) -- DianaH, Tue, May 03 2022, 7:13:10
QOTD for Sunday, May 1, 2022 - William is having a Pity Party -- kgp, Sun, May 01 2022, 10:02:39
The following quotation is from Written In my Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 50 The Good Shepherd

He looked back over his shoulder; The Endicotts were barely visible, now sitting in the grass in a companionable circle, sharing food of some kind. He felt a keen pang at the sight of their companionability. He’d never be part of a decent family, couldn’t even marry a woman of such modest origins as Anne Endicott.

Her father might well be ruined, might have lost his wealth and business, the family might descend into poverty - but they would remain who they were, firm in their courage and pride of their name. Not him. His name didn’t belong to him.

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Replies:
- You’re right! Waaahhhh. I still have a hard time liking William. I think his spoiled upbringing hinders his view of the world, especially in the colonies. His British “pride of name” will truly not be worth much anyway shortly. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Mon, May 02 2022, 4:55:59
  - I can appreciate your opinion about William. Now and then I've wanted to give him a little shake and say, "Hey, pity party time is over." However, I DO see where and why some of his disillusionment and unhappiness have come from. He THOUGHT he knew just who he was, his lineage, name, and title. Then, surprise!!! Nope, not a nobleman by blood after all, but the bastard son of a Jacobite traitor. It's easy for me to see why William and Bree have formed a bond, which I'm really enjoying seeing develop. (NT) -- DianaH, Mon, May 02 2022, 9:04:35
    - That was one of the biggest things I was looking forward to in Bees. Sophie Skelton helped me like Bri so maybe a live version of William will sit better than the one I read. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Mon, May 02 2022, 17:37:10
      - I hope they cast that well. The young boy they had for 12 year old William was just not right. (NT) -- kgp, Mon, May 02 2022, 18:18:21
QOTD for Saturday, April 30th 3022 -- Cait, Sat, April 30 2022, 6:25:01
The following quotation is taken from Written In My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 12 Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

"Not precisely. I do want that, of course, but--" He groped for words, quite unlike his earlier elegant loquacity. "You'd die for them, happily. Your family. But at the same time you think, Christ, I can't die! What might happen to them if I weren't here? " He gave me a wry and rueful smile. "And you know bloody well that mostly you can't help them anyway; they've got to do it - or not - themselves."

"Unfortunately, yes." A draft of air moved the muslin curtains and stirred the hanging pall of smoke. "Not the grandchildren, though. You can help them."

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Replies:
- I've posted this one before, but having had my birthday this past week and seeing who did and didn't show up for me, after I always put myself out trying to make their birthdays special, really drives home how much your children dismiss in the general course of life. But I have hope for the grandbabies. (NT) -- Cait, Sat, April 30 2022, 6:28:20
  - The forced social niceties are going away and sadly I think it’s going to be worse with our grandchildren. It’s not that they don’t care, but society stereotypes and the necessity of physical interaction to communicate has changed things so much. We visited cousins on a regular basis whether we wanted to or not. And mostly enjoyed it. If we wanted to go out and play we had to go knock on a door …. or yell. Anyway, off the soapbox and out to enjoy the Cherry Blossom Parade 😊 (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sat, April 30 2022, 8:58:19
- Thank you for the great quotes this week, Cait. And Happy birthday! (NT) -- kgp, Sat, April 30 2022, 12:48:10
QOTD for Friday, April 29th 2022 -- Cait, Fri, April 29 2022, 5:21:04
The following quotation is taken from Voyager by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 1994 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 17 Monsters Rising

"Something wrong with short men, is there?" Roger inquired.

"They tend to turn mean if they don't get their way," Claire answered. "Like small yapping dogs. Cute and fluffy, but cross them and you're likely to get a nasty nip on the ankle."

Roger laughed. "This observation is the result of years of experience, I take it?"

"Oh, yes." She nodded, glancing up at him. "I've never met an orchestra conductor over five feet tall. Vicious specimens, practically all of them. But tall men" ----her lips curved slightly as she surveyed his six-feet-three-inch frame--- "tall men are almost always very sweet and gentle."

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Replies:
- I always think about this observation and laugh to myself when watching a short man bob around a taller woman, and having had my own encounters with the short versions of men I would have to agree with Claire, there are always exceptions but generally speaking some of them hide the most spectacular tempers. (NT) -- Cait, Fri, April 29 2022, 5:24:17
- I also wonder how much of this is actually Diana speaking. If I remember correctly, she met her husband, Doug, in band rehearsal when she was engaged to someone else. (NT) -- DianaH, Fri, April 29 2022, 7:29:40
  - How interesting, Diana. I hadn’t heard that before but it makes sense and is almost impossible to not picture Doug when reading Jamie. Short Man Syndrome - I never saw it described so well. Lol. Little yappers trying so hard to prove they’re not little yappers. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Fri, April 29 2022, 11:54:57
QOTD Thursday, April 28th 2022 -- Cait, Thu, April 28 2022, 6:28:22
The following quotation is from The Fiery Cross, written by Diana Gabaldon. Copy Right 1996. All Rights Reserved. Chapter 93: Choices

“Why?” I asked at last. “Why did you…choose to stay?” My throat was still tight, and my voice was hoarse. He heard it, and his hand tightened on mine; a ghost of his usual firm grip, and yet with the memory of strength within it.

“Because ye need me,” he said, very softly.

“Not because you love me?”

He looked up then with the shadow of a smile.
“Sassenach…I love ye now, and I will love ye always. Whether I am dead -or you- whether we are together or apart. You know it’s true,” he said quietly, and touched my face. “I know it of you, and ye know it of me as well.”

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Replies:
- Having finally found my person after years of searching I never want to let him go. I know most likely life will take one of us before the other but I try not think about that and just love him as much as I can right now. I went out for drinks for my birthday last night with the girls, he was invited but didn't join us, but he made sure I got home and put up with my drunken nonsense and I am so grateful. (NT) -- Cait, Thu, April 28 2022, 6:31:26
  - Cait, you made me smile and sigh. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, April 28 2022, 15:16:02
QOTD for Wednesday, April 27th 2022 -- Cait, Wed, April 27 2022, 6:12:37
So sorry I'm late everybody, I dropped my phone in the toilet last night so I had to wait until I got to work to use this computer. Happy birthday to me.

The following quotation is from The Fiery Cross, written by Diana Gabaldon. Copy Right 1996. All Rights Reserved. Chapter 58: Happy Birthday To You.

“ The camp was beginning to stir outside, with clangings and thumps, and the hoarse sound of sleep-rough voices. Overhead, the grasshopper began to chirp, the sound like someone scratching a nail on a copper pot.

“This is a morning my father never saw,” Jamie said, still so softly that I heard it as much through the walls of his chest, as with my ears. “The world and each day in it is a gift, mo chridhe ---No matter what tomorrow may be.”

I sighed deeply and turned my head, to rest my cheek against his chest. He reached over gently and wiped my nose with a fold of his shirt.

“And as for taking stock,” he added practically, “I’ve all my teeth, none of my parts are missing, and my cock still stands up by itself in the morning. It could be worse.”

Last edited by author: Wed, April 27 2022, 6:12:59 Edited 1 time.
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Replies:
- I chose this quote, even though I know it's a very popular choice, because this birthday I'm officially older than my older sister ever will be. The pain of loss gets easier to bear, but some days still catch you off guard. May the day bring blessings to us all <3 (NT) -- Cait, Wed, April 27 2022, 6:14:49
  - Happy Birthday, Cait. Your phone landed in the toilet? Oops. It doesn't matter how often some of the quotes are used. Good quotes are good quotes and are always welcome. Sending you peace and hugs for the loss of your sister. The pain of loss blunts over time, but never goes away completely. We just learn not to be crippled by it and keep going. (((((Hugs))))) (NT) -- Betsy BFS, Wed, April 27 2022, 13:53:13
  - Happy Birthday, Cait! I just turned 46 and on the morning of I did a similar "take stock" and thought of Claire and Jamie doing this. Everything mostly in good working order, so that's a blessing in itself! (NT) -- LadyBelle, Wed, April 27 2022, 18:23:04
    - Belated Birthday wishes Cait and Lady Belle! This is a beloved and “think of on my BD always” quote - though checking different parts and adding an attitude checklist. Outlander touches my life so much. Last night on Jeopardy the answer was “What is Thermodynamics” and my 15 grandson looked at me like “What?!?!” I smiled smugly and said, Outlander. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, April 28 2022, 3:10:51
- Cait, I’m so sorry for the loss of your sister; and wish for more happy memory days for you. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, April 28 2022, 3:16:46
QOTD for Tuesday, April 26th 2022 -- Cait, Mon, April 25 2022, 19:02:09
The following quote is from Written In My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon, Chapter 88 "A Whiff Of Roquefort”, Copyright © 2014 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

"He wouldn't have to risk that," Hal said. "He's been relieved of duty."

"What?" John exclaimed, rounding on his brother. "What the devil for?"

Hal sighed, exasperated. "Leaving camp when he was ordered to stay there in the middle of a battle, what else? Getting into a fight with another officer, ending up at the bottom of a ravine with a dent in his skull through being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and in general being a bloody nuisance."

"You're right, he is your son," I said to Jamie, amused. He snorted, but didn't look altogether displeased.

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Replies:
- I love "seeing" the similarities between Jamie and his offspring, it's so funny to watch it develop and grow. (NT) -- Cait, Mon, April 25 2022, 19:03:30
  - Oh, I agree with you, Cait. And I love Claire's remark here. It is SO spot on! LOL. (NT) -- DianaH, Tue, April 26 2022, 6:52:16
    - Jamie, truly, being proud of the escapades and Claire, in spite of herself, also proud of her wild men. They might do what seem like crazy things but they never let you down in a crisis. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Wed, April 27 2022, 3:05:57
      - I often refer to my husband and two sons as "my men;" the Evil Queen at Disney World saw them behind me and asked if they were my Huntsmen as they were tall and sturdy. (NT) -- LadyBelle, Wed, April 27 2022, 18:24:59
        
        Love this! You’re a lucky lass 😊 (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, April 28 2022, 3:12:11
QOTD Monday April 25th -- Cait, Sun, April 24 2022, 19:44:05
The following quote is from Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon, Chapter 43 "Falkirk”, Copyright © 1992 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

"Good evening to you, MacIan," I said. "I wondered, MacIan, why do play with your eyes tight shut?"

He smiled and scratched his head, but answered readily enough.

"I suppose it's because my grandsire taught me, Mistress, and he was blind. I see him always when I play, pacing the shore with his beard flying in the wind and his blind eyes closed against the sting of the sand, hearing the sound of the pipes come down to him off the rocks of the cliffside and knowing from that where he was in his walk."

"So you see him, and you play, too, to the cliffs and the sea? From where do you come, MacIan?" I asked. His speech was low and sibilant, even more than that of most Highlanders.

"It is from the Shetlands, Mistress," he replied, making the last word almost "Zetlands." "A long way from here." He smiled again, and bowed to me as we came to the guest quarters, where I would turn. "But then, I'm thinking that you have come farther still, Mistress."

"That's true," I said. "Good night, MacIan."

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Replies:
- This quote has such great visuals, and my puppy is half miniature Shetland Sheepdog so it made me think of him *g*. Happy Monday! (NT) -- Cait, Sun, April 24 2022, 19:45:39
- i haven't read DIA in a long time, so thanks for bringing this quote to us. Without overly flowery prose, DG helps me see the cliffs and feel the wind. And Claire has indeed come from farther still than the piper. If he only knew HOW far! (NT) -- DianaH, Mon, April 25 2022, 7:28:33
  - So true, Diana! I remember one vacation rereading DIA when we were at the beach and it was a pleasant one. But it’s been a long time for me too. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Mon, April 25 2022, 14:07:00
QOTD Sunday, April 23rd -- Cait, Sun, April 24 2022, 0:07:27
The following quotation is taken from An Echo In The Bone by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 79 The Cave

"Have ye ever been in the slightest doubt that I need ye?" he demanded.
It took roughly a half second of thought to answer this.
"No," I replied promptly. "To the best of my knowledge, you needed me urgently the moment I saw you. And I haven't had any reason to think you've got any more self-sufficient since. What on earth happened to your forehead? Those look like tooth--" He lunged across the desk and kissed me before I could finish the observation.
"Thank ye," he said fervently, and, un-lunging, whirled and went out, evidently in the highest of spirits.

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Replies:
- He's lucky to have Claire considering how many times he gets hurt! (NT) -- kgp, Sun, April 24 2022, 9:41:21
  - For sure, kgp! (NT) -- DianaH, Mon, April 25 2022, 7:29:05
Opening Sentences -- TeriB, Sat, April 23 2022, 9:06:45
How's your creativity flowing this morning? Had a delightful moment this morning and the words talked their way into mind. What interesting beginnings can you think of, making up whatever twisted word play, from diabolical to tender & sweet?

Here's mine: "Work heavily veiled my thoughts. How could he?"

What's your opening lines? Time to wake up Lallypals, have a hot cuppa, and type in your ideas! Have fun this sunny weekend of Spring.

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Replies:
- I guess this is what I was trying to say about Geneva’s worthlessness in the men’s eyes. A good piece to be bought, then a whore because she was too young to give in to the horrible fate, dead and good riddance to the trash ……. BUT “At least the bastard is a boy”. Effer -- Kathy in PA, Sat, April 23 2022, 10:05:55
  - Oops posted the wrong message here somehow. What I wanted to say was, you have a nice suggestion to start the day. I don’t have a thought but I did rejoin the Y and went for my first swim this morning. I haven’t been in a Y pool for 63 years since I was a Water Baby. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sat, April 23 2022, 10:09:22
- Hey Kathy! Great way to spring into better health via the Y. Post a creative word or two when you can - it's fun! (NT) -- TeriB, Sat, April 23 2022, 10:43:52
- The alarm ditty was annoying but she'd been sleeping on her stomach and the beloved 16 lb tabby was curled up on her lower back. The alarm would stop by itself in a minute; could she put up with the noise that long? (NT) -- kgp, Sat, April 23 2022, 17:34:08
  - Who is this mysterious sleepy lass? I want to know more.... Excellent opening sentence. (NT) -- TeriB, Sun, April 24 2022, 9:39:33
QOTD for Saturday, April 23, 2022 -- kgp, Sat, April 23 2022, 3:27:10
The following quotation is from Voyager by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 1994 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 15 By Misadventure

“He’s mine!” Knocking Lady Dunsany roughly against the paneling, Ellesmere snatched the bundle from her arms. Clutching it to his bosom, the Earl retreated toward the window. He glared at Dunsany, panting like a cornered beast.

“Mine, d’ye hear?”

The bundle emitted a loud shriek, as if in protest as this assertion, and Dunsany, roused from his shock by the sight of his grandson in Ellesmere’s arms, started forward, his features contorted in fury.

“Give him to me!”

“Go to hell, you codless scut!”

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Replies:
- I guess this is what I was trying to say about Geneva’s worthlessness in the men’s eyes. A good piece to be bought, then a whore because she was too young to give in to the horrible fate, dead and good riddance to the trash ……. BUT “At least the bastard is a boy”. Effer (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sat, April 23 2022, 10:03:16
QOTD for Thursday, April 21, 2022 -- kgp, Thu, April 21 2022, 8:01:08
The following quotation is from Voyager by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 1994 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 15 By Misadventure

“Oh, yes, to be sure. Fine ‘ealthy little las, ‘e is, too, or so I ‘ear. I thought you knew a’ready. It’s ‘is mother that’s dead.”

That blunt statement struck the kitchen with silence. Even Jeffries was still for a moment, sobered by death. Then he crossed himself quickly, muttered, “God rest her soul,” and swallowed the rest of his brandy.

Jamie could feel his own throat burning, whether with brandy or tears, he could not say. Shock and grief choked him like a ball of yarn wedged in his gullet; he could barely manage to croak, “When?”

“This morning, the cook said, wagging her head mournfully. “Just afore noon, poor girl. They thought for a time as she’d be all right, after the babe was born; Mary Ann said she was sittin’ up, holdin’ the wee thing and laughin’.” She sighed heavily at the thought. “But then near dawn, she started to bleed again bad.They called back the doctor, and he came as fast as could be, but –”

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Replies:
- Sorry I'm late - I had an opportunity to sleep in... (NT) -- kgp, Thu, April 21 2022, 8:01:37
  - That sounds lovely! Poor Geneva and Jamie. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, April 21 2022, 16:58:21
- "Choked like a ball of yarn wedged in his gullet" is so descriptive that I keep clearing my throat! (NT) -- DianaH, Fri, April 22 2022, 7:19:41
QOTD for Friday, April 22, 2022 -- kgp, Thu, April 21 2022, 16:32:59
The following quotation is from Voyager by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 1994 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 15 By Misadventure

“That you can have the sheer heartless effrontery to make such accusations!” Dunsany was saying, his old man’s voice shaking with rage and distress. “And my poor lamb not cold in her bed! You blackguard, you poltroon! I will not suffer the child to stay a single night under your roof!”

“The little bastard stays here!” Ellesmere’s voice rasped hoarsely. It would have been apparent to a far less experienced observer that his Lordship was well the worse for drink. “Bastard that he is, he’s my heir, and he stays with me! He’s bought and paid for, and if his dam was a whore, at least she gave me a boy.”

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Replies:
- Poor Mr. Dunsany. I can’t think of anything worse than losing a child; then to hear her slandered so badly, his heart was broken (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, April 21 2022, 17:02:17
  - Exactly so, Kathy in PA! And yet the old man was right; the baby is his heir because he and Geneva were married when the baby was born, whoever the father really was. Such an ugly scene for Mr. D to endure. (NT) -- DianaH, Fri, April 22 2022, 7:17:57
QOTD for Tuesday, April 19, 2022 -- kgp, Mon, April 18 2022, 18:00:20
The following quotation is from Voyager by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 1994 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 15 By Misadventure

The undivided attention of her audience thus obtained, the cook allowed herself to be persuaded into imparting the gossip with no more than a token demur.

“Well, it started some months ago, when the Lady Geneva started to show, poor thing. His Lordship’d been nicer than pie to ‘er, ever since they was married couldn’t do enough for ‘er, anything she wanted ordered from Lunnon, always askin’ was she warm enough, ‘ad she what she wanted to eat - fair dotin’, is Lordship was. But then, when ‘e found she was with child!” The cook paused, to screw up her face portentously.

Jamie wanted desperately to know about the child; what it was, and how did it fair? There seemed no way to hurry the woman, though, so he composed his face to look as interested as possible, leaning forward encouragingly.

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Replies:
- Isn’t it sad that she wasn’t smart/cunning enough to do it at least once with the old fart? Still too young and proud to use his vanity against him. I don’t like how she forced Jamie, but I did feel sorry for her. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, April 19 2022, 8:01:19
  - I think he may have been... Infirmed. Or not "firm" 😉 . Because of old age maybe?? Or other reasons and he knew it. (NT) -- JamesG, Tue, April 19 2022, 13:56:02
    - Yeah, but if she had even a little guile she could have wriggled around a little and exclaimed a bit and - boom 💥 - Bob’s Your Uncle! He could have bragged to his valet. LOL (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, April 19 2022, 14:00:14
      - He could tell anyone anything but if he could not do the dead then HE would know it's not his. And it came down to pride to be sure. But not for bragging rights but for the fact that he would not be cockled (sp ??) without gitting revenge. (NT) -- JamesG, Wed, April 20 2022, 6:41:45
        
        I surrender 🙄 LOL And SO much would be different. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, April 21 2022, 5:07:26
        Cuckholded (NT) -- kgp, Thu, April 21 2022, 8:15:22
QOTD for Wednesday, April 20, 2022 -- kgp, Wed, April 20 2022, 4:46:06
The following quotation is from Voyager by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 1994 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 15 By Misadventure

The cook’s thin mouth stretched in a bright, malicious smile. “Oh, I don’t say as ‘e’d know whose it was, now – but there’s one sure way ‘e’d know it wasn’t ’is, now isn’t there?”

Jeffries stared at the cook, tilting back on his chair. “What?” he said. “You mean to tell me his Lordship’s incapable?” A broad grin at this juicy thought split his weatherbeaten face. Jamie felt the omelet rising, and hastily gulped more brandy.

“Well, I couldn’t say, I’m sure.” The cook’s mouth assumed a prim line, then split asunder to add, “though the chambermaid did say as the sheets she took off the weddin’ bed was as white as when they’d gone on, to be sure.”

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Replies:
- The potential ramifications of someone finding out that Jamie is the child's father are frightening. (NT) -- DianaH, Wed, April 20 2022, 7:19:36
  - I agree, Diana! We love him but he probably wouldn’t have lasted a month in real life. The servant talking about the sheets would have disappeared along with Geneva once he had a boy. Especially such a braw one from Jamie’s loins that he could claim. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, April 21 2022, 5:10:20
    - But what could they do? Jamie isn't an ordinary servant who could be dismissed or flogged. He is a POW under Lord John's supervision. John could flog him or transfer him elsewhere, transport him to the colonies or back to a cell in London. (NT) -- kgp, Thu, April 21 2022, 8:14:45
QOTD for Monday, April 18th, 2022 -- kgp, Mon, April 18 2022, 5:19:37
The following quotation is from Voyager by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 1994 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 15 By Misadventure

Passing back toward the front of the coach, after the latest battle with the mud, he saw the Lady Isobel’s face peering out from beneath the isinglass sheet that covered the window.

“Oh, MacKenzie!” she said, her face contorted in fear and distress. “Please, is it much farther?”

He leaned close to shout in her ear, over the gurgle and rush of the gullies running down both sides of the road.

“Jeffries says it’s four mile yet, milady! Two hours, maybe.” If the damned and hell-bent coach didn’t tip itself and its hapless passengers off the Ashness Bridge into Watendlath Tarn, he added silently to himself.

Isobel nodded her thanks, and lowered the window, but not before he had seen that the wetness upon her cheeks was due as much to tears as to the rain. The snake of anxiety wrapped round his heart slithered lower, to twist his guts.

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Replies:
- I’ve learned to use “I have a griping in my guts” to describe that particular yucky pain. There is so much use of gut conditions throughout the books I’ve come to empathize in those terms. That last sentence, sure describes some of the worst feelings, right? (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Mon, April 18 2022, 10:30:31
  - It does suit quite a few conditions including anxiety and fear. (NT) -- kgp, Mon, April 18 2022, 12:02:24
There is a U-tube ch called top10s. They did a vid today called 10 things that don't quite come from where you might think they do. #3 might be interesting and fun for some of you. (They count down 10 to 1) enjoy -- JamesG, Sun, April 17 2022, 14:32:14
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Replies:
- Interesting 🤨. We have hillbillies and rednecks all around but we don’t generally give them such noble beginnings. LOL (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Mon, April 18 2022, 10:59:01
QOTD for Sunday, April 17, 2022 -- kgp, Sat, April 16 2022, 17:13:23
The following quotation is from Voyager by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 1994 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 15 By Misadventure

Hearing through the servants’ gossip that Lady Geneva was due to be delivered in January, he had counted quickly backward, cursed Geneva Dunsany once more, and then said a hasty prayer for her safe delivery. Since then, he had done his best not to think about it. He had been with her only three days before her wedding; he couldn’t be sure.

A week before, Lady Dunsany had gone to Ellesmere to be with her daughter. Since then, she had sent daily messengers home, to fetch the dozen things she had forgotten to take and must have at once, and each of them, upon arrival at Helwater, had reported “No news yet.” Now there was news, and it was plainly bad.

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- Oh man, oh man, OOOOH MANNNN. My stomach is clenching for Jamie here. It IS bad and going to get a lot worse 😳 (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sun, April 17 2022, 11:24:24
QOTD for Saturday, April 16, 2022 -- CindyG, Fri, April 15 2022, 20:44:59
The following quote is from The Outlandish Companion, Volume Two by Diana Gabaldon, “Romance and the Written Word.” Copyright © 2015 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“The publication process is a long and torturous one (ask any production person), but it begins with the editor who buys a book going to an editorial meeting, at which all the editors present their ‘list’ of projects, reporting new acquisitions and progress on existing manuscripts, and where preliminary plans are laid for marketing, cover designs, and advertising budgets. Clearly an important occasion for a new book.
So Jackie, bless her heart, took Cross Stitch to the editorial meeting, where she waxed enthusiastic about how wonderful this book was, how much she adored it, it was the best book she’d ever read, and they must do something Really Special for it.
‘Great!’ said the assembled meeting. ‘What kind of book is it?’
‘Ahhh…’ said Jackie.”

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Replies:
- This made me laugh. We’ve had so many discussions of what type of book and where they should be displayed in Barnes and Noble. All I know is that I’ve been reading for 62 years and no author has ever grabbed me like Diana. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sat, April 16 2022, 15:05:34
  - Same here. I’m 68 and started reading when I was 4. I’ve been an avid reader ever since. I read all kinds of books, love mysteries, but Diana’s books re just so unique. Far and away my favorites (NT) -- CindyG, Sat, April 16 2022, 21:41:53
QOTD for Friday, April 15, 2022 -- CindyG, Thu, April 14 2022, 22:12:33
The following quote is from The Outlandish Companion, Volume Two by Diana Gabaldon, “Romance and the Written Word.” Copyright © 2015 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“Now, as I’ve noted elsewhere, I wrote Outlander for practice and chose the broad general category of ‘historical fiction’ on grounds that I was a research professor and knew my way around a library. As I wrote, though, I used any element, literary device, or classical trope that struck my fancy—and I read a lot, I like all kinds of things…and I used ’em all. After all, it didn’t matter what ‘kind’ of book this was—no one was ever going to see it!
Well, the best-laid plans of mice and men, and all that…Stuff happened, and I put a small bit of the book in the library of the CompuServe Literary Forum in order to win an argument with a man about what it feels like to be pregnant. Everyone who’d been following the argument went to read the piece and came back asking for more. So I’d put up bits and pieces now and then…and people began asking, ‘What sort of book is this?’
‘Beats me,’ I’d reply, and go on working.”

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Replies:
- I wonder about her friends in the Literary Forum. I sure would be a “I knew her when!” person. I like to hear of all the different kinds of support groups out there. This sure is one for me to escape to each day 😊 (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Fri, April 15 2022, 14:08:02
- "... broad general category..." Yes!! Yes she did. 😂😂 (NT) -- JamesG, Sat, April 16 2022, 20:43:44
If you’re thinking of going digital, Amazon has Kindle version of DIA, Voyager & DOA for $4.99 each. -- CindyG, Fri, April 15 2022, 10:01:22
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- Just another aside: did you see where Sam is starring as Paul Newman in a movie about Roald Dahl and Patricia Neal? (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Fri, April 15 2022, 14:11:16
QOTD for Thursday, April 14, 2022 -- CindyG, Wed, April 13 2022, 21:47:08
The following quote is from The Outlandish Companion (Revised and Updated), by Diana Gabaldon, “Prologue.” Copyright © 1999, 2015 by Diana Gabaldon. All rights reserved.

“The next stop was plainly the Arizona State University library, where I went the next day. I began my research by typing SCOTLAND HIGHLANDS EIGHTEENTH CENTURY into the card catalog—and one thing led to another.
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:
- The old "If you want something done, ask a busy person." seems to fit DG's life here. What's just one more thing??? (NT) -- DianaH, Thu, April 14 2022, 6:58:20
  - Such a wide spectrum too! Research grants, tech books to sweeping historical fiction - between all the above. I sound prejudiced but I always think of it as “ask a busy woman” LOL (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, April 14 2022, 12:05:42
    - I agree, Kathy in PA! (NT) -- DianaH, Fri, April 15 2022, 8:13:45
QOTD for Wednesday, April 13, 2022 -- CindyG, Tue, April 12 2022, 21:34:02
The following quote is from The Outlandish Companion (Revised and Updated), by Diana Gabaldon, “Prologue.” Copyright © 1999, 2015 by Diana Gabaldon. All rights reserved.

“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.4 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 episode5—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.
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.”

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Replies:
- Aha! Like I said, Divine Intervention 😊 👍. There’s nothing wrong with a little daydreaming during a particularly long sermon and look what happened. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Wed, April 13 2022, 7:01:06
- And the rest is history! (NT) -- DianaH, Wed, April 13 2022, 9:14:17
- That passage was my very first exposure to any of the books. At a book store flipping pages in books looking for good reads. Saw the words Doctor Who and stoped to read that passage. (BIG Who fan...old who) did not buy the book and it would be a few yrs before I would read Outlander. later got the OC vol one and say to myself "I remember this passage". (NT) -- JamesG, Wed, April 13 2022, 15:32:52
  - That’s so cool that you found it again and remembered! Because of this passage I tried Dr. Who, starting with the very first. It was the tv of my youth and I just couldn’t get past the bad sets and costumes. I haven’t tried any of the modern versions yet. Anything Diana recommends I at least look at. Do you remember her Methadone List? I read some good ones from that. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Wed, April 13 2022, 18:14:16
QOTD for Tuesday, April 12, 2022 -- CindyG, Mon, April 11 2022, 20:46:28
The following quote is from The Outlandish Companion (Revised and Updated), 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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- I never picked up on her wanting to write mysteries before and realize that’s where the Lord John story got to be bigger. I still get confused by the plots in them but am so happy to see the human side of a character I love. Especially his interactions with women. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, April 12 2022, 5:26:12
  - LJG's life does get complicated and interrupted by service abroad. It usually takes at least two readings before I get all the pieces. (NT) -- kgp, Tue, April 12 2022, 6:20:22
  - DG said at one point that every book is in its heart a mystery--there is always some plot point of an unknown factor to resolve by the end. (NT) -- Susannah, Tue, April 12 2022, 7:03:54
- I just love this section. I’ve been to see her twice at book signings, and she tells her story briefly about how she got started, but goes into more detail here. I find it fascinating, and of course as well written as anything else she does. (NT) -- CindyG, Tue, April 12 2022, 10:24:35
  - My daughter and I saw her in Philly a few years ago and she is so down to earth and unflappable but so cool and beautiful in the best way. It was a huge crowd they didn’t expect at a library. I called for tickets when it was announced and they said I didn’t need them. They were kind enough to call me back and offer tickets first when they were inundated with calls. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Wed, April 13 2022, 7:07:46
QOTD for Monday, April 11, 2022 -- CindyG, Sun, April 10 2022, 21:16:14
The following quote is from The Outlandish Companion (Revised and Updated), by Diana Gabaldon, “Prologue.” Copyright © 1999, 2015 by Diana Gabaldon. All rights reserved.

“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:
- For years my “stop the life crazies” time has been walking the dogs in the woods. Like the postmen: neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet……..” I have the right clothes and I take that hour. It just hit me that Diana’s escape was her being able to practice her art - and did it ever reach so many of us. After reading yesterday’s quote all I could think of was Thank God, Thank God, Thank God that Diana’s gift and grace is her writing. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Mon, April 11 2022, 3:53:27
- Quote from Aristotle, “For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.” (NT) -- DianaH, Mon, April 11 2022, 10:12:48
QOTD for Sunday, April 10, 2022 -- CindyG, Sat, April 09 2022, 21:03:27
The following quote is from The Outlandish Companion (Revised and Updated), 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).”

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Replies:
- Never made up stories, but memorized and acted them out. The problem was that I was usually obsessed with a book no one else had ever heard of. (NT) -- kgp, Sun, April 10 2022, 12:54:08
- My sister and I used to make up stories too, but never with a "cast of thousands." Neither of us became authors either, but I loved hearing Diana's story of where it all came from. (NT) -- DianaH, Mon, April 11 2022, 10:10:29
Well I'm sorry to report that the last of my Bees have flown off. I even got the Honey out of the back of the hive. Got to return the hive to the library in the next few days. If only there was some Standing Stones near me and I could use them to go forward 4 or 5 yrs. Guess I will do a re-re-re-read. -- JamesG, Sun, April 10 2022, 18:25:31
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Replies:
- I've listened to it several times while falling asleep. Worth reading again. (NT) -- kgp, Sun, April 10 2022, 20:16:45
- I'll be re-visiting my own Bees to see which of them I missed on my first visit to the hive. (NT) -- DianaH, Mon, April 11 2022, 10:08:05
QOTD for Saturday, April 9, 2022 -- kgp, Fri, April 08 2022, 18:55:28
The following quotation is from Written In my Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 49 Uncertainty Principle

“I suppose he can’t very well be legging it cross-country,” I agreed. “Have you - meaning George Washington - got any idea how big a force he has?”

He lifted one shoulder and waved off a huge horsefly with his hat.

“Maybe ten thousand men. Maybe more. Fergus and Germain watched them assemble to march out, but ye ken it’s not easy to judge numbers when they’re crawlin’ out of the side streets and all.”

“Mmm. And . . . um . . . how many men do we have?” Saying ”we” gave me an odd sensation that rippled through my lower body. Something between tail-curling apprehension and an excitement that was startlingly close to sexual.

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Replies:
- It is still hard for me to picture that they could gather 10,000 men. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sat, April 09 2022, 18:39:57
QOTD for Friday, April 8, 2022 -- kgp, Thu, April 07 2022, 20:36:03
The following quotation is from Written In my Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 48 Just For The Fun Of It

Denzell was dressed in the uniform of a Continental soldier and looked self-conscious as a hunting dog with a bow round its neck. Ian suppressed his amusement, though, merely nodding as his future brother-in-law drew to a stop before them. Denny’s betrothed had no such compunctions.

“Is he not beautiful?” Dottie crowed, standing back a little to admire him. Denzell coughed and pushed his spectacles up his nose. He was a tidy man, not over tall, but broad in the shoulder and strong in the forearm. He did look fine in the uniform, Ian thought, and said so.

“I will try not to let my appearance engorge my vanity,” Denzell said dryly

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Replies:
- I hope it’s not just me (ahem) but Diana’s use of words does always amaze me, so…………. did “engorge” make anybody else think of their wedding night? (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Fri, April 08 2022, 4:52:16
  - LOL!!! (NT) -- kgp, Fri, April 08 2022, 7:29:01
QOTD for Thursday, April 7, 2022 -- kgp, Wed, April 06 2022, 21:10:50
The following quotation is from Written In my Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 47 Something Suitable In Which To Go To War

“Why has it always got to be you?” I blurted into his chest.

That made him laugh, a little shakily, and I realized that all the trembling wasn’t coming from me.

“It’s no just me,” he said, and stroked my hair. “There are a thousand other men readying themselves today - more - who dinna want to do it, either.”

“I know,” I said again. My breathing was a little steadier. “I know.” I turned my face to the side in order to breathe, and all of a sudden began to cry, quite without warning.

“I’m sorry,” I gasped. “I don’t mean - I don’t want t-to make it h-harder for you. I-I-oh, Jamie, when I knew you were alive - I wanted so much to go home. To go home with you.”

Last edited by author: Thu, April 07 2022, 11:33:58 Edited 1 time.
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Replies:
- Because this is one of the few times that Claire shows her vulnerability, it makes the scene all the more poignant. (NT) -- DianaH, Thu, April 07 2022, 7:17:59
  - That does grab your heart, doesn’t it? She’s always so brave and stiff British upper lip. This is really making me think of the Ukrainian women now. It’s so hard to watch the totally unnecessary savagery - those women whose men are going off to serve and their President have me in awe of their bravery and patriotism. As simply as Jamie is explaining it, they are doing it (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Thu, April 07 2022, 8:49:49
- I agree, it's not often Claire shows vulnerability. Yes, it does make you look at the women of Ukraine and how stoic they are. God Bless them, (NT) -- Katiscotch, Thu, April 07 2022, 19:48:10
QOTD for Saturday, February 19, 2022 -- CindyG, Fri, February 18 2022, 20:48:01
The following quote is from Voyager by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 32, “The Prodigal’s Return.” Copyright © 1994 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“‘It’s usually ten, Uncle.’ Young Ian had shed his coat, and tugged at his waist now, speaking over his shoulder. ‘Twelve if it’s pretty bad, and fifteen if it’s really awful.’
‘Was this only bad, would ye say, or pretty bad?’
There was a brief, unwilling laugh from the boy.
‘If Father’s makin’ you do it, Uncle Jamie, it’s really awful, but I’ll settle for pretty bad. Ye’d better give me twelve.’
There was another snort from Ian at my elbow. This time, it was definitely amusement. ‘Honest lad,’ he murmured.”

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Replies:
- I’m realizing that Diana’s dialogue, not only LJ, but everyone’s - is what makes this so real for me. The last paragraph here and the first one yesterday are so exactly how truly loving parents deal with kids in trouble. Verbal tongue lashing from Mom (you canna be mine 🙄) and remembered belting from Dad, but absolutely no doubt of their love. Cindy, thanks for a great week of lovable young Ian! ❤️ (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Sat, February 19 2022, 4:22:48
- I can't imagine having to watch a child get the trap, never mind doing it. Not that I haven't felt the urge with two boys. (NT) -- kgp, Sun, February 20 2022, 5:02:28
- Thanks -- MatthewDDavis (Happy), Thu, April 07 2022, 3:04:28
QOTD for Wednesday, April 6, 2022 -- kgp, Tue, April 05 2022, 20:43:10
The following quotation is from Written In my Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 46 Baby Jesus, Tell Me . . .

“Tell me you and Rog took the kids to Disneyland, Bree,” he murmured, licking mustard off his knife before using it to slit the envelope. She’d talked about doing that someday. “Baby Jesus, tell me this is a photo of Jem shaking hands with Mickey Mouse.”

Much to his relief, it was photo of both children at Disneyland, beaming at the camera from Mickey Mouse’s embrace, and he laughed out loud. The he saw the tiny key that had fallen out of the envelope - the key to a bank’s safe deposit box. He set down the photo, went and got another beer, and sat down deliberately ready to read the brief note enclosed with the photo.

Dear Uncle Joe,

I’m taking the kids to see Grandma and Grandpa. I don’t know when we’ll be back; could you please see to things while we’re gone? (Instructions in the box.)

Thank you for everything, always. I’ll miss you. I love you.

Bree

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Replies:
- Joe is one of my favorite characters. He's usually in the background, but he is practical, loyal, and a true friend to Claire. I love that Bree calls him Uncle Joe, despite Frank's opinions (which were very common for that era). Joe's realization that Bree wrote that SHE is taking them to her parents, not WE, that Roger was not with her was worrisome, especially since he had no way to find out what was going on. (NT) -- DianaH, Wed, April 06 2022, 7:19:19
QOTD For Tuesday, April 5, 2022 -- kgp, Mon, April 04 2022, 21:31:38
The following quotation is from Written In my Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 45 The Cure of Souls

He hadn’t actually stopped praying at any time since Jem had disappeared, though most of it was just the frantic, reflexive Dear Lord, let it be all right of everyone facing crisis. Over time, either the crisis or the petitioner wears down, and prayer either ceases or . . . the person praying starts to listen.

He knew that. And he was listening. But he was still taken aback to get an answer.

He had enough experience in the business of prayer to recognize and answer when it showed up, though, however unwelcome. And the pointed reminder, arriving as a random thought in the missile of their mud-spattered, rain-sodden journey - that Jack Randall’s soul was in as much danger as Brian Fraser’s life - was damned unwelcome

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Replies:
- Nope. Still can’t pull up any sympathy or care for any part of BJR, let alone his soul. His nickname is apt for me because he is nasty black through and through. I know it’s his calling but sometimes Roger’s too nice for me. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, April 05 2022, 4:39:15
- This was such interesting reading; Roger's conflict over BJR. The atrocities that Randall will commit, and the effects that they will have on Jamie, Claire, Brian, etc. vs. changing the future. The morality is so blurred. (NT) -- DianaH, Tue, April 05 2022, 7:07:56
  - You’re so right, Diana. It is a lot deeper for Roger - knowing and wanting to stop it so badly, but . . . . . . . . . (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, April 05 2022, 18:20:54
QOTD for Monday, April 4, 2022 -- kgp, Sun, April 03 2022, 22:01:19
The following quotation is from Written In my Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon. Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved. Chapter 44 Amphibaena

“Know the expression ‘ damned if ye do, damned if ye don’t’?”

“No, though I wouldna think it was one a minister would use.” Buck’s mouth twitched into a half smile. “Are ye not dedicated to the notion that there’s always one sure way out of damnation>”

“A minister. Aye.” Roger breathed deep again. There was a lot of oxygen on a Scottish hilltop, but somehow there didn’t seem to be quite enough just this minute. “I’m not sure that religion was constructed with time travelers in mind.”

Buck’s brows rose at that.

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Replies:
- Religion vs spirituality. Roger’s faith journey has been so convoluted, but his spirituality shines through no matter what kind of opposition is put on him. (NT) -- Kathy in PA, Tue, April 05 2022, 4:35:52

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