We are OBSASSENACHS because they want us to be…

January 5, 2020 by Your friendly neighbourhood ABOotlanders

and to be perfectly honest, we’d have gone willingly. Many of us were sitting here, waiting for someone to come along and make this happen.

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I recently watched a marketing clip of how to sell in today’s ‘go go go’ society and it was how all entertainment works these days. I wanted to sit down and put an Outlander spin on it.

Look, we have a little over a month left of #Droughtlander. I would like to spend it in a bubble because the real shit out there is making me tired. I need to turn it off every now and then if I want to stay relatively sane-ish.

Here were the marketing rules:

TURN CUSTOMERS INTO FANATICS – The viewers are the customers and CHECK! We are fans aka…fan addicts…fanatics.

PRODUCTS INTO OBSESSIONS – The product is the show and all the goodies that come with it. CHECK! We never miss an episode, in fact, we watch them over and over. We buy all the copies, we buy all the merch, we donate to all the charities, we attend all the events. Yep. Obsessed is a good word.

EMPLOYEES INTO AMBASSADORS – Conventions, Interviews, Social Media presence… the cast and crew that take part in these things. Those who engage. TADA! We have our ambassadors. We are tiny lil ambassadors ourselves when we RT/Share/Engage/Like.

AND BRANDS INTO RELIGIONS. Don’t scoff. Don’t laugh. People take their Outlander seriously. (If you are deeply religious – may I suggest you read the rest of this blog with your funny pants on because it is all just shits n giggles from this point on)

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I have come up with 10 Outlandish commandments because I thought it would be fun and tie in, kinda…weirdly.

I am Outlander, thy epic show, thou shalt not favour any strange shows before me.
Thou shalt not take the name of Outlander in anger or derision.
Keep thy home quiet during thee Outlander hour.
Honour thy Fraser’s and thy MacKenzie’s.
Thou shall not be a twitter assholeeo.
Thou shalt not commit snackicide during the Outlander hour. It means what you think it means. Sicko.
Thou shalt not verbally assault others during Outlander. Like not even a little.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. That means don’t be a gossipy Gertie, ok? Two ears, one mouth.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours Outlander stuff. Be happy for them. That shade of green doesn’t look good on anyone.
Outlander is really just a TV show, here for thou entertainment. Enjoy the shit out of it.

No, Brianna. I’m just goofing around.

ANYWAY, on the whole, the Outlander fandom does exactly what it is supposed to do according to the world of promotion and marketing.

Sony, Starz, W Network here in Canada, the cast and many of the crew all play their parts. Some don’t like how they do it, that’s rather a matter of taste, personalities or whatever. They will continue to do what they do for their own reasons. We don’t need to know those reasons, we should assume they do it for the success of Outlander.

The same can be said for us, the fans. We play our part. Some might not like the way we do it BUT…thats what happens in this thing called life. We feed the Outlander machine in our own way. It doesn’t matter in the big picture as long as we have fun with it. No matter if you are a twitter maven with thousands of followers, a controversial blogger that likes to debate or a fan that sits back and lurks wondering how the hell everyone keeps all of this stuff straight (I have no idea btw, I rarely remember who runs what account), we all maintain a piece of this crazy Outlander fandom.

YES. This fandom is crazy. Good crazy for the most part. Like any massive collective of people, there will be drama, infighting, cliques and subgroups. Those, however, are generally on the outlying rings.

The words ‘silent majority’ are a thing because – the majority of people who watch Outlander are silently enjoying it in their bubbles at home. Outlander has a global audience that is growing every day because of streaming services, most will never bother with social media beyond a few likes or searches.

Those who are out here with our voices should try our best to use them for good. Whatever that looks like to you, go for it! Have fun with it. There are groups out there that support the actors. All the main cast members have fan groups on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Not just one but multiples. The reason being, different personalities gravitate to one another. That’s cool because you will then find people like you that love the same cast members you love.

Richard Rankin is a great example. I am sure he has a twitter handle for nearly every body part and one in every region on the planet. Example: Rankins Dimple. PLEASE do not see this as a personal challenge to create ALL of Rankin’s parts. (Roger’s pit hair, Roger’s thigh bristle,Roger’s man pelt…) Shit, that might have just given peepsmore ideas. 🤣

There are great content creators that share their love of the show. Videos that blend songs with scenes, that help us relive beautiful moments. Check out Julia on YouTube if you haven’t already. She has the instinct of bringing the music and the heart of scenes together to recreate the story in another setting.

There are also edits by King Fireman on YouTube, his videos are masterful creations of scenes brought together to weave you through a retelling of the story. You need to see them in order to truly know the appeal of them.

Like, Abracadabra it’s so awesome, magical

We also have a number of fantastic bloggers. So many I couldn’t possibly name them all. I assure you there is something for everyone out there. You can easily go to your favourite blogs, check out their suggested blogs since like attracts like.

Get lost for hours on end by hitting up Pinterest. Search for Outlander fan art, quotes, memes and whatever else your wee Outlander heart desires. You will find the most amazing things along with a few that make you snort whisky out of your nose. Either way, a great way to waste an afternoon.

Ultimately, it isn’t our drama, negative nellies and infighting that get the attention of others. That kind of shit just eats and thrives on itself. It’s possible to not be a part of it if you don’t want to.

Just. Like. This.

What ends up being a lightning rod is the laughter, the good time fans that run around with their t-shirts over their heads screaming about LJG and Jamie and Roger and Murtagh and and and… that get the attention. The discussions about Claire together with her fortitude. The conversations about Brianna, her rape, as a consequence the way women in the fandom connected, healed and supported one another that was truly heartwarming. Those are the things that people outside the fandom see and gravitate to.

I admit the way fans jump all over someone that merely mentions on twitter that they have watched Outlander and love it, it’s friggen adorable. It might be surprising to the person initially but think about how welcoming it is. Walking into what you think is an empty room and saying “Wow, that Outlander show was so good” then BOOM 200 people are welcoming you and telling you how wonderful it is to meet you and how you are their people.

I for one…am happy to be a cog in this Outlander wheel. As long as it is on the air, I will be out here, promoting it. You never know what will happen after.

COME ON Feb 16th, us Canadians, watching on W Network have some #OutlanderCAN tweeting to do!

Sher XO

Emotional bridges. Looking back on Episode 5 of Outlander.

December 3, 2018 by Your friendly neighbourhood ABOotlanders

I need to start by saying my heart was overjoyed to see the rabbit. Just yeah, bring on the Bree-bunnies, I will have them all. That was an emotional bridge over all of the seasons that I was both surprised and thrilled by.

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This episode of Outlander gave me whiplash. That sensation of running back and forth across an emotional bridge. One moment I was giddy with happiness and love the next, I hoofed it to the other end and was brought to tears. Now look, I am, in fact, bipolar…this episode made me need a therapy session cuz I wasn’t sure if I forgot my meds or what!

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The despondency of Roger in his poop toque (yes, I had to) walking away from Ms. Bairds is heartbreaking, yet in the next breath, we were given a wee bit of hope when hearing her call him back. Then the letter brought us back down to earth – flat on our asses.

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Claire as a healer, handing a new baby to her mother with kind and gentle hands was then switched to a mediator, showing incredible bravery in the face of ignorance. Ignorance which nearly caused bloodshed on a doorstep because a man refused to see the truth of a situation out of fear.

We felt the anticipation and pure joy of hearing Murtagh’s voice and again when he turned to face Jamie. We had to witness the confusion/pride and ultimately the heartbreak Jamie felt watching his godfather wax poetic about the injustices served, in the name of Tryon.

We became an audience to the magic Claire and Adawehi shared speaking of Bree being with her mother. Only then to suffer the horror of Adawehi’s murder.

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Brianna, though we didn’t see her much in this episode, tends to do the same as her mother. Act first, think later. She found out about her mother and Jamie dying in the fire and boom…off she goes, caring about Roger but not truly thinking about how this might affect him. Maybe not really thinking how it might affect her in the long run. Her heart leads her. Honestly, I don’t blame her. It isn’t a fate I would leave my mother to either, though I think I would have had a conversation with the man I loved first. Granted, Brianna doesn’t seem to want to admit that she does love him yet. I’m anxious to get to that part of the story – bring me some more #MacnCheese, please!

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Personally, I think Roger has been putting his logic before his emotions. That’s what makes our world a cool place. People are different. He thought it through quite thoroughly and came to the conclusion that Brianna was better off not knowing the whole truth. He just didn’t take into account, if the information was out there, she would be able to find it too. I have this suspicious feeling, all of those emotions we see all over Roger’s face (damn, Richard Rankin is GOOD at that), are going to start leading him by the nose hairs and shit is going to go down. And go down hard.

Murtagh’s story is one I am so looking forward to because I have no fricken idea what it will look like. I am convinced he had more dialogue in this one episode than he did in the entire 3 seasons prior. I adore his voice. O.K., I’m distracted by the silver foxiness of Duncan Lacroix, it gets me stuck in this crazy circle of hummina hummina. His emotions were at an all-time high this episode. Naturally. He was reunited and it felt so good. He had a fire in his belly that had been re-ignited from injustice done in his past which are resurfacing in his present. He always was a protector of Jamie, now I believe he adjusted that to being the protector of a people. Of justice itself. He did end up on Fraser’s Ridge after some thought, so I am very anxious to hear what that thought process was and what the plan will be.

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This episode was filled with our characters joy and pain, such as life is. Each time led by emotion, as we often are. That isn’t a bad thing, however, if we took the time to truly think about things before we reacted to them, we can admit we would often do things differently. I know I can think back to many times in my life that I wish I could stuff words back in my mouth…delete something I did. There are even those times I don’t say or do something and after I have time to think about it, I want to kick myself because I come up with all these brilliant things I COULD have said or done.

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Until next time,

Sherry (Founder of the ABOotlanders)

P.S’s -Join us in live tweeting on Sundays while we watch Outlander on W Network using the hashtag #OutlanderCAN

Don’t forget to follow FanCity on Twitter and on YouTube… #FANMAS is running right now and there are tonnes of prizes from all your favourite fandoms – Yes, of course, Outlander is on the list!

A. Malcolm – How we saw it.

October 24, 2017 by Your friendly neighbourhood ABOotlanders

I am just one of 340 local ABOotlanders. The brilliant thing about that is being able to hear, feel, see & understand how others interpret, percieve & process each episode of Outlander.

No surprise that A. Malcolm is one of those episodes that has a great divide in the interpretation. Why? Likely because it also had the most expectation. When we imagine things, we detail them, connect emotion to them to make them real. It is a natural way to process. Many of us have not only read the “reuinon” of Jamie & Claire an insane amount of times, we have layered it with our emotions which ultimately solidifies our images so we can “feel” what we are imagining. Visions of each moment were exeedingly clear.

There is no right, there is no wrong. There is no reason to change someones mind about what they saw but perhaps there is a reason to understand they are as entitled to seeing something their way as we are, ours.

We should never feel the need to defend our feelings nor feel sorry we have them. Just as we shouldn’t assume others are missing something or blind to disappointment. The most important thing to remember is opinion & fact are 2 different beasts. Where personal interpretation exists, just like jello, fact isn’t something that is “nail downable”.

On our local FB group we have episode discussions – we have this thing about saying what we mean, without being mean & respecting one anothers view points. It makes having discussions so much more enjoyable when coming from a place of assuming positive intent.

It’s a study of personalities & experiences when we truly listen to how others digest visuals. It can be facinating – if we let it engage us & not separate us.

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Here are moments the ABOotlanders pointed out as group favourites:

Jamies view of the day. Being reminded that Claire had a lot of planning, thinking, hoping going on and this… it was all a true smack upside the head. Never in a million years…ok…200 years did he see this coming. Watching that shock play out from the place he was living was pretty cool.
Jello. Bicycles. Zippers. Photos. There was an excitement about the mention of things Jamie has no idea about. That connection from past to future. It almost is a full circle kind of feeling that was a unified “loved it”.
Grown up Fergus. I admit, this tiny little scene made me sobgasp. That took me by complete surprise. The ABOotlanders were unanamous of their Fergus love and the gravity of that moment.
Wee Ian. For book readers, we know what this young man is up against, and how he was written by Diana. John Bell is perfectly gawkward. He too had just a moment on screen – and it seemed he universally struck the mark.
Brothel Breakfast of champions. It was a great part of the book & we were all pretty happy that it made its way into the show. Thanks for the tip. That might be my favourite line.

Another common thread

Pure joy with all the things. There are definitely those in our group who love…all…the…things. The joy of watching it come to life overwhelm their senses and the gushing goes forth.

2. Being underwhelmed. Absolutely there were those that felt this way. They expected more & didn’t get that. The emotion simply wasn’t at the level they envisioned.

Both of these views, completely valid & easily understood. We might not agree with the opposite perception of the scenes but it sure doesn’t make anyone mistaken.

Our group, as a whole, are pretty good with the separation of book & show. Knowing that things change because of the need for translation, dropping things in now where their might be no time for the set up later. The written word is rich and full whereas seeing something on screen becomes a little less dimensional. Do we miss things? Sure. Do we wish things were included? Sure. Do we find it ruins our overall enjoyment? It sure doesnt seem like it.

One thing we certainly all agree on. It sure is nice to have J&C back together again.

Don’t forget to play along with us as we Live Tweet with the Canadian airing of Outlander on W Network. Use #OutlanderCAN to keep up with us.

Sher. Founder of the ABOotlanders

Outlander Episode 3 – Heartstones , amiright?

April 30, 2016 by Your friendly neighbourhood ABOotlanders

Still taking a detour from the blog bursts that look like recaps. I feel there are enough ppl doing those now that, well, even doing it Canadian style with bacon isn’t different enough.

Episode 3 of Outlander was full of…Oooooh’s , awwwww’s & Snorts so I finger I will just talk about those with you. Heartstones is something us ABOotlanders are not short of. We are a bunch of sulks (I say that because I am…and I do not like being lonely).

Heart STONES are those things in your heart that when they are hit, they send you back in time, memories. I believe that is why we are so connected to Outlander. It isn’t just our own created memories but those Diana Gabaldon authored when we read the books for the first time. How many times have we seen comments telling new readers how jealous we are because they get to experience that first time feeling? Its a nostalgia we connect to from remembering our “first time”. It really is a better “first time” than the other first time… that’s rarely enjoyable.

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Aaaaanyway. That’s how I now feel when I watch the show. It’s like a new read. I recognize it, it’s familiar…yet it is different so I get a new thrill from it. It’s not about if I like the changes, only that they exist and create new heart stones for me and my friends to travel through together.

Heartstones being created

The name of the episode is “Useful Occupations & Deceptions”. We don’t have to reach to far to guess what this is all about so lets get right to it.

OOOOOH’s , AAAAAW’s N Snort’s of Episode 3… Our HeartStones…

Aaaaaw #1 -This came when Claire shoved Jamie’s wigman away so she could do up his vest instead. I mean, that was a “Why are YOU doing this, I am sitting right here.” jealous wife move and I loved it. You can’t blame a girl…husband out at brothels- oh wait…one brothel (but remember, its fancy…it’s got dildos), drinking his face off with the guys, coming in reeking of smoke n whores. Yep, I would probably feel the need to exert ownership. You can tell the scheme of these moves is to show…she misses him.

Snort #1– The first laugh of the show for me was Jamie’s wee SAWNY going missing. So what you are saying Jamie is… lostsnake

This could just be because my brain has a disorder. Its called ‘inthegutteria’. It’s catching. You might have it now. If not, you may not find me near as entertaining as I do.

Snort #2– Louise. Sweet Louise! She MADE the interaction with Mary & Claire go to another level of giggles. Her SHOCK at the accusations Mary made about men and their things…was…snortworthy. 1cohno

Ooooooh #1 – Claire realizing who the truck Mary Hawkins was! 1emaryhawkins

For our Frank lovers…they got another peekaboo at him and Claire finally put the puzzle of where she had heard the name before! You could see she wasn’t particularly thrilled. I heard a few people say “She didn’t seem to care when BJR was dead so Frank was before…but now she is all worried about him?!” Let’s look at it this way – When Claire found out that BJR was dead, she was in the midst of taking care of Jamie, making sure he didn’t die. Once she did that…it’s kinda late to be thinking about saving Frank. Pragmatic is one way I would describe Claire, I can’t see her dwelling on something she knew she couldn’t change. HOWEVER, once there is something she thinks she can fix or change…ummm…dog with bone sound about right to us?

Oooh, Awww N Snort – 3 for the price of one – Murtagh getting some lovin! #Suzagh! Sounds like a great clan call…for tail. There was a couple of things about Claire walking in on her ladies maid, Suzette (zee lov-a-lee Adrienne-Marie Zitt) and her husbands Dudley do right-hand man. 1…Claires expression of shock. Now, was it shock that she caught them doin’ it? Was it shock that Murtagh was getting more action than her? Was it shock that Murtagh could be ungrumbly long enough for a woman to want to get jiggy with him? I think it could have been any or all of those reasons. 2. The fact that she hasn’t got lucky in so long she didn’t recognize the sounds of two people gettin jiggy w’it.

The surprise coupling of the 2 characters gives Murtagh a lil more zip & brings the staff in the house to “human” mode., not just following picking up after everyone. #Suzagh all the way!

Oooh #2 SNAP! Claire done looses it on Murtagh because he reminded her that she isn’t getting any. That face…says it all. snappy

After her poop ungroups, she tells him that BJR is alive & the deception duo is born. For now – by the end of the show Murtagh has his kilt in a wad because she didn’t tell him.

Snort #4– That Duverney dude is funny. Not just his wig either. Telling Jamie while playing chest he was going “get him” and that he gave him permission to respect him less. See in my world, those are are things I would say to Jamie too…maybe not playing chess…but playing- chest? See…I find things entertaining because I make them up in my head sometimes.

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He has this way of wrapping scenes around his fingers…and getting wanna be Kings to kiss his fingers. Knowing this guy, I sure as heck would NOT be putting my mouth around his digits…I see where he goes with those!

Oooh #4 – The Comte. That is all. I need not say more.

I mean. Really. The Comte St.GermayIhavesomemore?

Awww #2– Master Raymond plays Ann Landers. Claire doesn’t really ask for advice but Raymond gives it. Stop pouting about being bored lady and go do what you like doing. Lancing boils & sticking your fingers in puss n guts! Its nice to see someone looking out for her isn’t it? tumblr_mdvrqbfyca1ruaozy2

Snort #5 is a loooong giggle. “Claire goes to the Hospital”. We could write a childrens book about this you know. The look on Mother Hildegardes face when this “lady” came and said she wanted to use her medical knowledge and help. “Ummm, go dump a bedpan ‘lady’. See you never.” Claire doubles up the back bone and not only empties bed pans but starts drinking them. That will show her!

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Ok…she wasn’t drinking out of the bedpans…but she was taste testing them. Which baboom…makes Momma Hilde take notice and decide “Hmmmm, if she likes urine, she’s gonna love it here…let’s keep her.” And BOUTON! Well…yeah…somehow we all have fallen in love with the little hairball. It sure helps when you remember loving Bouton of the books. Its not about the dog they got so much as it is about that they got a Bouton!

The scene with the nasty puss filled groin splinter (ummm branch not splinter) was spot on. Freaking LOVED the moment Bouton showed his talents & at the same time helped Claire get in good with the big nun on campus.

Awww #4– #WeeFergus . Like we didn’t get to meet enough awesomeness in this episode but then we get the lil bandit too. It was a smorgasbord of characters being brought to life. I had the constant “awwww head tippy” going on the whole fricken episode.

All these feels in the awww spot

I loved the introduction to Jamie…something we only got a quick description in the book about how the wee gommrel came to be in their world. This gave it the character development that the TV character deserved to have.

’tis a delight to meet you!

I loved how he called Jamie dirty names and tried to blackmail him and Jamie’s reaction…I wanted to squeeze both their cheeks! Throughout the episode Fergus (played by Romann Berrux) displays the all the charm of a small gentleman while being the brothelbabe he was. “Hey, girls love it when I sing the praises of their corset fillers.” It’s not hard to tell that like Fergus from the book – TV Fergus is going to have us all wrapped around his bitty doigt.

The best move Jamie had this episode? Hiring a pickpocket.

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You did the right thing…for interesting reasons.

Awwww #5 – This awww is more of a “Awwww muffin!” awwww than an “Awwww so cute” awww though. Jamie was having a party and we were invited. It was a pity party. Now why oh why wasn’t his wife home to greet him? Pout, sulk, grumble grumble and snark. Once folks showed up for his party he lashed out on them. Jamie is kinda a bad event planner in that respect. We came away with it being all about Jamie – if he is going to be a miserable sulk, then why shouldn’t he share that? Because it sucks Jamie…it sucks.

Pity Parties are not as fun alone

We know why you’re a pouty pants, but we aren’t enjoying it. You need a lil lovin…that will fix everything. As long as it is with your wife…those brothelbabes…not so much.

Snort #6– You know Jamie was going to have to swallow his pride at some point. Watching him do it with Mama Hildegard was a good move. Her being a musical savant and all that. Her view of her friend Bach was less than flattering though wasn’t it? Clever but no heart. Without him, they wouldn’t have figured out the code to the letters Fergus our boy was stealing though!

WhooHoo…so clever

All the emotions of episode 3 and we wrap it all up in a happy little ball of “relief, happiness, guilt & disappointment. Relief because they believe they figured out who was promising BPC money for this campaign. Happiness because Jamie was happy for a moment. Guilt by Claire because she STILL hasn’t told Jamie BJR is alive. Disappointment in Claire by Murtagh because she didn’t tell Jamie BJR is alive.

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Perfect way to tie that bow up and be ready for Episode 4.

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Canadian’s aren’t in Scotland anymore…Outlander FUN!

April 24, 2016 by Your friendly neighbourhood ABOotlanders

You know after watching Episode 2…I sat. Just…sat. Then I started thinking…that’s when I smelt smoke.

How would one do a recap without creating a commentary? There was simply TOO MUCH AWESOME in that episode to just regurgitate it all back at you like so many already do.

I call it the Rapid Fire episode.

Nipples n threats, Nipples in threats…this episode was full of nipples & threats.

So…instead of doing my blurt like recap. I am going to give you a top 10 Things I Loved … along with some of the tweets from #OutlanderCAN. #OutlanderCAN is the hashtag us ABOotlanders came up with before season 1 started. Showcase has come aboard using it in support. They added a fun lil contest this time as well. We hope that becomes a regular occurrence. Let’s just say Showcase has upped their game since the “win a subway giftcard” days

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Don’t you love when each episode starts – “Previously…on Outlander”? Showing us in quickies what’s occurred in other episodes which will “refresh” us for the next one. So many of us…previously on Outlander means – we have watched it…not once…not thrice but repeatedly in an unhealthy way.

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There we sit…in the O-Zone...

When it comes on…we are just hitting the person next to us “It’s on! It’s on! Shhhhh!”

Quiet now, the grownups are watching!

The 10 Things I Loved about Episode

ALL OF THE THINGS!

Shall I narrow it down for you a little? Yep, the costumes…on ALL OF THE BODIES! Terry Dresbach and her designers and all the other people that make that team simply have talent. Much talent. You know it has to be a REMARKABLE team because the outcome is MINDBLOWING! There was not ONE costume that I didn’t want to devour. See it all over, inside out and sideways. Not one. Jon Gary Steele…ummm sir? Is your brain filled like Master Raymond’s Apothecary? I mean, I look at these sets! In my WILDEST imagination I could not picture a tenth … a hundredth… of what you have. Not only imagined but brought to our screens. That, with the costumes and the lighting…this girl was AGOG! Mouth hangin open staring…AGOG. I watch the show over and over evertime, this time…I want to watch it once more…pausing every 5 seconds or less so I can take in EVERYTHING. The apartments, the gardens, the streets, the brothel and Master Raymond’s.There was simply too much to love and you CAN NOT do it in one sitting. Seriously impossible!

2.THE GEMS! They started with some pretty heavy stuff…sounded porny ( My kid shouted from the other room… “Mom, stop watching porn!”), then looked sexy and as quick as that was happening…Claire turns into Black Jerk Randall (which is ALWAYS disturbing isn’t it?) and Jamie turns into a homicidal maniac, plunging his knife into BJR over…and over…and over…Kudos to the sound department btw. You really brought the scene all together. In that scene…Jamie was whole. No scars on his back, his fingers…bendy. It isn’t the kind of things editors on this show miss so…intentional it was. I didn’t catch it first or even second view. If it weren’t pointed out, I may have missed it till the 5th or 6th watch, truth be told. I am ALWAYS lost in the story the first few times I watch. I am not looking for anything else. Whether it be mistakes, clues, easter eggs or the like. One I caught right away was the eye…but granted…it was pretty much RIGHT there. For you to see. Some call it the Jacobite eye, some come from a different place…either way. It connects people does it not? Or does it? Geillis (how I adored her) & Raymond sittin in a tree…what oh what could that eye mean. It goes deep into the books so …yeah…I don’t plan on ruining it for anyone. I don’t want to be know as “a book reader”. *snort* do you see

3. #TheRedDress #TheRedDress #TheRedDress Yeah Yeah Yeah. I know you think I covered everything in respect to this with #1 but no. The Red Dress (all capitalized for dramatic flair ) is a favourite all its own. I know some complained…but those are the some that complain about a lot and if they pick The Red Dress to complain about, that is because they know it was extraordinary and others will give them attention for their views. Others said seeing it out of context ruined it for them…I can’t say they are wrong as it’s their viewpoint. Personally, I saw the red dress before, at an angle that wasn’t the same as the dress when viewed in context so I kinda loved it even more. Plus, you know Jamie & Murtagh MADE the reveal one of perfect gape mouthed boyishness. redress

4. The #swanipple Dress Also known as the Swan Dress or the Nipple dress. After reading Diana’s version of the dress SO many times…I still had this super weird and slightly disturbing picture of it in my head. I am so very grateful that Terry made it into something…hmmmm…word choice is difficult here. Its definitely not something I would wear…only because a swans neck sure wouldn’t be long enough to wrap…*snort* Never mind…visuals not included. I thought the swanipple dress was SUPER COOL! I have no problem with the female body. Nipples are something we have….(most of us). They aren’t disgusting, they aren’t too private, they are nipples. If we don’t get our drawers in a twist about men’s nipples, which are ONLY decorative. We should relax about a women nipple, they do serve a couple functions. I can envision Terry sitting at her kitchen table trying to perfect the swanipples and it also makes me smile! The actress sporting the dress…carried it off PERFECTLY. Held a gaze and knew…she didn’t care “My nipples are down there…look…I dare ya!”

5. The HUMOUR! I sure did giggle a lot this episode. It started pretty nasty and eye buggy however the mood was lightened significantly by ALL the characters. They all gave me a giggle. Claire and her “Step back” “Bitch, Please!” faces were a guaranteed laugh.

Jamies awkwardness and his reaction to her waxing session. Titter Titter. So many characters added to make us smile and laugh. I enjoyed the dramatic flare of the whole thing…And let’s not forget…He was so good he got 2 votes on my list!

So much to smile about!

6. MURTAGH! There is an incredible amount of love for this man. Know why? CUZ! Duncan Lacroix has given Murtagh an incredible compassion, sense of humour and the best curmudgeon old fartishness ever. The way he looks at Jamie, is like a father to a son, the way he looks at Claire…a sense of honour in which he holds dear because…well I think Murtagh thinks as much hassle as she is, he likes her lots. Kinda like a puppy…it poops on your floor over and over but you still want to cuddle it. I want so badly for Murtagh to stick around that I want him to be Duncan. Not the guy playing him Duncan but Duncan Innes ( that’s a book reference BTW) So…lets start the campaign now. #DuncanforDuncan . See … it’s kismet man!

7. WhooHoo for Lady Stuff! First Claire’s new BFF Louise De Rohan reminds us…a vulva is just a vulva. Girlfriend is a womans woman if you ask me. She has no qualms about her body, when someone hurts her, she smacks him and makes up swears. Sounds like me and I am a womans woman so…there you go! Naturally, the honey pot scene – made me very happy. Many may not agree with me but I thought the dildo scene was entertaining and guess what? Nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed of if you are comfortable talking about sex & things that go with sex. There is something about dildos that make some people heeby. That’s ok. I don’t particularly understand that mindset but I accept it. Could be the fact that in my everyday life, I am a Pure Romance consultant (it you aren’t 18 or older…don’t click that link! It is a shameless plug…heehee funnier even). Thank goodness for progress right? Dildos are considered the stick shift of the sex toy world… Rechargeable is where we are now. Tesla style. PLUS…NEVER NEVER RENT A DILDO. That’s just narsty. gag

8. Master Raymond…and his stuff! The froggy faced little man in the apothecary. I HEART HIM! I’m not sure I would kiss him to turn him into a prince but…I heart him all the same. I am looking forward to all of the wonderful things he will be bringing to the show. I will continue to bring up Terry’s costumes…Master Raymond’s costume was on the verge of over load. SO. MUCH. SWEETNESS! Check out Terry’s breakdown of his coat.

9. Douche bags R Us BPC,Durverney & Sandringham. All douchey in their own way. The first intro with Duverney, didn’t he have horndawg written all over that crazy wig of his? He is a foot fetish fiend with great taste. You saw Claire’s shoes right??? I loved his crazy drama. I laughed out loud as Jamie casually pushed him into the pond, it was done perfectly! The wig issue..just made Durverney turn into a loveable perv that looked like a bad Tina Turner impersonator. Then you have UGH…Sandringham…the douche of. This guy was silly sly last season, this season he’s slimey scum. Yeah…Simon Callow is a great actor but this character he plays…well…let’s just say I hope Murtagh gets to put him to sleep.

10. Everybody POOPS! Warning. Please do not take everything so seriously. Can I shout out to the writers for keeping this scene in? Lots of peeps sure were bothered by certain things being taken away and THAT being left in however…King Louis needs to develop a quick bond with Jamie…and what better way to do it that curing the royal backup problem?

Some people wonder how I can be a 20 yr plus, book reader and be so “chill” with the changes. Pretty easy really. The book is the book. The TV show is the TV show. The two don’t interchange in my mind. Do I notice the difference and have an opinion? Of course…however if my opinion is just a negative reaction to something I was “hoping for”, I keep it to myself. Why in the world of the interwebs would I do that? I am not a professional, those who are in the industry are. I find in the long run…if the characters are “familiar”. THAT is what matters. Nuances, story details, physical traits and characters will not be the same. This should EXCITE us, not alienate us. I cant wait till next Sunday! Useful Occupations & Deceptions. We get to meet Fergus and head to the ‘opital!

Keep yer wig on folks. SherryLynn

Founder n Big Mouth of the ABOotlanders

Do you still LOVE Outlander?

February 13, 2016 by Your friendly neighbourhood ABOotlanders

I mean REALLY love?

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Our feelings must match our dedication no? If we are still here, still excited for April 10th (YES! 10th…Canada eh?) then we can be sure we are at least loyal. If we have gone…no longer interested…Outlander was simply a booty call for us. If we come back after it’s been on a while…Outlander was merely there when we wanted it to be.

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I have been in love with this world for well over 20 years…(giving the 20 years years…just makes me feel old) and the distance has in fact made my heart grow stronger! Being withoutlander has only made me care more. Heightened the anticipation. It was like the LONGEST FOREPLAY EVER!

OK…it was ready months ago…but this is good now!

With Valentine’s Day here I thought this a good time to analyse the love-illustration_zk6JSfO__L people have for this wonderful tale and what I came up with makes some sense (to me). If you are willing to do some critical thinking it may make sense to more people out there.

THINK THINK THINK

The whole book vs show comparison is where I grabbed onto this. It seems to me the only thing that is making some folks LOVE the books MORE than they already do – is the fact they are not in love with the show. Now, I have had this discussion before however, I will be looking at it from a viewpoint of “relationships“. It REALLY make sense these folks refuse to be budged or see another point of view.

It’s my opinion! I will cry if I wanna!

Here is my take-

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The book lover – Show hater (or knock at every turn but keep watching so they can continue knocking). Keep it clear…these are not synonymous – just a branch of folks. They have developed a clear and real bond with the Outlander books. One they will not shift. Outlander probably helped them through a very difficult time, they were able to rely on the book and where the story took them. They have such deep affection for the story and characters, to them…deviation from that is painful. In their view it changes the connection they had. For them, seeing the 2 as separate entities is to deny the power of the book. Change is a difficult thing for an individual because they likely have had change forced on them in the past and it was a huge struggle for them to deal with it. When they have the choice to embrace a change, they generally won’t because they CAN choose.

angry claire

Expectations for this person will be high. In fact, they have it in their mind they won’t like anything so they set their expectation higher than anyone would be able to match. Sure fire disappointment awaits them.

The Book/Show Fight to the Deather (or engage in any debate trying to shut up anyone who says a negative word) I sat back and had to ask myself, why? As a fan of the books, as someone who loves Diana like she actually is a person in my bubble of life (and she is…We did lunch…no bull). Then it came to me. I do my very best to see everyone for who they are. Good and Not so good. I also know that people perceive things differently because of their experiences. SO, if I have a different perspective….it is very likely I process information differently. You can have an understanding of Book vs. Show for many reasons.

These are really the people who are MOST PASSIONATE. They love to argue or they love to be heard…or they believe arguing will change someone’s mind. All they really have to do is ask themselves “Will someone else’s argument change MY mind?” That answer is probably no. Heels dug in..that is all there is to it. Right is Right and that they are.

Claire on men

Comparing a book to its visual counterpart is kinda like comparing a studio recording to karaoke on a Saturday at the local pub. They might seem kind of the same – but – they really really aren’t. Something that would make their relationship easier is to be passionate just choose our battles wisely.

The Show/It’s Real Lifers – AKA Shippers. I took my time here. The way I see it is…these people LOVE LOVE. They LOVE LOVE so much, they want what they feel to be reality. As someone who walks through life with #AAPI, I refuse to call these folks names or say they are delusional. If they aren’t hurting anyone, then they….aren’t hurting anyone. These people believe in their hearts , anything can happen in this lifetime. They are the dreamers and many sweetly are living vicariously through the characters the actors have brought to life.

Come on…how can you really blame folks that WANT this kinda reality?

You can be assured that their imaginations bring things to life all the time. To me…that isn’t much different than those creating the show or Diana in writing her books.

So many are apt to jump on these people, try their best to prove them wrong and crush their spirits. They will argue it is to protect the people they are fixated on. It’s to make people see “the truth”. In all actuality, every public persona has people who fixate on them- if you take the time to REALLY think about it. They handle it the way they should. Not putting the spotlight on it, not encouraging or denying. Just allowing life to happen. It is a great lesson for others. tumblr_lkhk3q40iq1qhmj05o1_500

The truth is, those who fight against them also are coming from a place just as real to them as it is to those they argue with.

Both have a desire to be right – not truly make things right. The urge to be right comes from inside us. giphy

There are some that will know the truth, and simply knowing it is enough. There is no desire to prove it. Then, there are those who are passionate to prove it. whether is be to have not only a personal satisfaction but so others can know it to. This comes from a desire to be seen as intelligent or dominant. We can analyse that till the dawn of a new civilization. Some very well might try…however, us today…will take it for what it is. People have a desire for acceptance, not only from others but wanting to validate themselves.

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Those who are content- Love the books, Love the show.Love the flowers. Love the trees. Love love love love.

It’s a Unicorn farting rainbows kinda life!

I like to be this one 90% of the time. But I am human. Some say this type of person is a pleb. Maybe because I’m one, I think these are the easiest going of folks. No need to cause waves when they are in the gentle current called life. They pick up the life preserver if they see a big wave is on its way. It’s all about peaceful serenity. Some will always see these people as sheep or suck ups. That is coming from their need to judge and that is ok. It doesn’t make them right. Be content, be easy to please…this means you are harder to disappoint.

Read between the lines.

When we see people’s views come from their innermost thoughts, experiences and being…it should be much easier to accept where people are coming from.

We all have a right to an opinion HOWEVER, that opinion is OURS. When we feel a need to try to convince others of our opinion, when we try to demean or belittle others for their opinion – it takes away our credibility. Opinion and fact are 2 different entities.

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The fact is…the book and the show are separate entities. One is a book that describes things so you can live in it. One is the show, though based on the books, is not. It has the ability to bring the visual to you – so it does. In its own way. As all of our views of the story will relate to us…the show…simply can not do this.

I did not form this fact on my own. I took it from the mouths of those who created both. As taken from Diana Gabaldon’s blog “I think Ron D. Moore and Starz have done a wonderful job of adapting OUTLANDER into a 16-episode first season (they’ll be doing one season per book, assuming the first one is a success–and that’s up to you. I think it’s amazing, and hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I do!”

That’s a happy group!

From an interview by Outlander TV News with Ron Moore “Ron: The second book is much more complex. It’s a more difficult book to adapt. As a result, it shifts point of view, it plays with time, it’s more political. It is dealing with the Jacobite rebellion. Most people in this country (U.S.A.) have never even heard of, so it is a challenge. We are always trying to play this to two audiences, the book fans and then the general audience who has no idea, and you have to play fair with both. The fans are looking forward to certain things and you want to satisfy that and you also want to surprise them. You want to catch them off guard, and sometimes you want to scare them, like “Oh my God, Frank (Tobias Menzies) is going up that hill! If he goes through time, I’m out of the show!” It’s great. I am sitting here watching and going, “Across America, people are losing their minds!” And that’s fantastic, and I enjoy that.” – Heehee…see…he wants people to go crazy? Why? Because he is a shit disturber…NAH! He just knows they will continue to watch…to continue to complain.

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The common thread in both comments ADAPTATION. To adapt…to alter, to change…it’s going to be different is the bottom line. That…is the fact.

Now…how you deal with that, is completely up to you.

My advice is ENJOY your point of view. tumblr_myua66ljs81tnwao8o1_250

ENJOY others and if you can’t enjoy them

…leave them to it.

WHO’S READY FOR SEASON 2??? Join us ABOOTLANDERS for the Canadian premiere twitter party – follow along on @ABOotlanders We will be watching on April 10th, tuned into SHOWCASE

What are you looking forward to the MOST?

Bucketlist — Dining with Diana – CHECK…holy snapping turtles…that’s a CHECK!

August 15, 2015 by Your friendly neighbourhood ABOotlanders

How? How does something like THAT happen to normal people?

*Blink* *Blink*
We must be dreaming!

Ok…first. We perhaps aren’t normal. However the perfect storm WAS brewing.

An event- When Worlds Collide. Diana Gabaldon will attend said event. The ABOotlanders find out about said event and decide there is NO OTHER CHOICE. This is the perfect storm. The positive intent, good will, good people & love we have following us around – we knew this event was going to be one we would cherish no matter what.

I am sure you are curious as to how WE…the lowly AB-Ootlanders could have gotten Diana to dine with us. I assure you there were no Diana’s hurt in the making of this experience. No duct tape, or chloroform used, no draw of puppies/hedgehogs or Toger’s at the table (O.K. there was a Toger but we didn’t take that out til later) or trickery of any kind. However, I believe the story starts the night before. I think I will start there. This is called suspense.

Stories need that – or so I learned at this writers conference.

Did you seriously just groan? Rude…that’s just rude.

You are such a kidder! Big kidder mckidderson!

These are random details of what happened at this years When World Collide event in Calgary. From how I remember it. That mean’s artistic license or something to that effect *snort*.

The ABOotlanders came out in droves. WHY? Because SHE, would be there. Diana. With our crowd…she needs no last name. Diana, not only would be here but she would be ALL over here.

Our first opportunity to see her…maybe walk by her…or make eye contact with her and get a little Diana nod (Someone should make a Diana bobble head…it needs to be very lil, sweet and not wobbly but a stiff wobbler because she has the perfect way of acknowledging you without seeming dismissive like some, hers said “I know you are here & happy to see me” and THAT’S COOL.) was at the Fish Creek Library. Event starting at 7:00 pm. Kim & I decided we MUST get there early. 5:00 pm will be early enough right? Maybe 4:30…there are SOOOO many people who love Diana…its going to be crazy. Ok…we will go at 5:00. Fine!

Are we early? Huh? Huh? Huh?

We race up the elevator at mach speeds. I lie. SLOWEST. ELEVATOR. EVER. Maybe its super fast but seriously we felt like we were getting sucked into another dimension this thing was so slow. FINALLY the door open and there are a few people standing there. 2 ladies & a gentleman. Staring at us very questionably. “Oh…hello” the gentleman at Fish Creek Library says “Who are you with?” I realize because we are SO early, he thinks we are with one of the authors to help set up books to be sold. Ummmmmm a little embarrassing but Kim…her enthusiastic and wonderful self pipes up “THE ABOOTLANDERS!” The 3 people stare at her blankly. “The…Ab-whowhat?” – “You’re a bookseller?” he says look down at Kim’s shirt, which is silkscreened with the words ‘A. MALCOLM BookSeller & Printer’ (Which btw – Diana told Kim she liked – cuz…well…it’s an awesome shirt)

“Oh no” Kim replies “I don’t sell books, I’m a fan!” Realization dawns on their faces and they look at each others faces. These are fans. Oh boy!

Yep! That’s us! Keeners! Are arms are full! We have gifts for Diana, we have a HUGE flat cardboard box which houses our Giant Jamie & Semi Giant Claire (poor girl came out smaller than we hoped). They were very gracious and offered to let us store our goodies while we were banished to the downstairs library to wait…one WHOLE HOUR! UGH! Longest. Hour. Ever. We were labeled as super fans…which I will wear happily as it’s kinda true.

6 pm rolls around and we ixnay the elevator and boogie up the stairs to claim our front row seats! We set up Giant Jamie & Semi-Giant Claire in the back of the library. I really ought to bring a donation box for those who take photos with them. The ABOotlanders could make a mint! It was so great to make so many Outlander fans happy though. We ended up recruiting so many wonderful friends to our group that evening. Diana came up on the elevator & I watched he make her way in the room…I am sure she has feet but she almost seems to glide…yeah…ok…shhh. I saw her catch a glimpse of Jamie & Claire and her face was one of “Oh…look isn’t that odd- those two just standing there like that.” Make me giggle inside.No…I giggled out loud and babbled to everyone around me to as what I had just witnessed.

The Fish Creek Library did a great job of hosting the readings. We were gifted with readings by not only Diana Gabaldon but Daniel Abraham (M.L.N. Hanover), David B. Coe (D.B. Jackson), CJ Carmichael, Faith Hunter (Gwen Hunter) and the amazingly witty and wonderful Brandon Mull. Brandon won the hearts of all of the ABOotlanders, as well as Diana.

I bought his BEYONDERS series for my 16 yr old man child but I plan on reading it as well. Seriously, this guy IS personality. The other authors all have something wonderful to offer, don’t get me wrong. David was another one of my favourites. He truly is a wonderful human being with a contagion of spirit & I will be picking up his Thieftaker Chronicles very soon!

The readings were wonderful, Diana went last and she read from book 9. *sigh* I am not in a huge rush for this book to come out, even though I will be first in line when it does. I understand her standing in front of me for 4 days means there is no way she is going to be able to write…so…I take this.

She reads so beautifully, I get transported into her story…she says something about Jamie being naked and boom…you can hear the audible sigh of the room, its almost like the collective intake of breath pulls the walls of the library in around us…I sag in my seat. I don’t really mean to but her imagery is just too good. It’s really her own fault isn’t it? Yeah. That’s what I think too. As she continues to read…the scene is intense, poignant and ends with a universal “oh” around the room. Leaving us wanting more…but that is the magic of Diana is it not?

There was a Q&A with the authors & then the signing. Since there were only 200 people at this event, it didn’t take long and the ABOotlanders had a plan. We planned to hang back. Wait till the last to try and score a bit more time with her because we brought some very special gifts with us. One of our admins, Cheryl came up with the brilliant idea to have a set of 5 whiskey glasses hand painted by the talented Nikki Galenza, who is our resident ABOotlander artist.

You can commision Nikki to do these for you. They are themed to each of the first 5 books in the series and they are stunning! We wanted to be able to show Diana & explain where we had them done. Plus taking time to have our books & other bits of nostalgia signed by her. Sweet Kim also gave her a box of Canadian chocolates, one in the box was whisky infused to go with our theme. Diana loved the glasses & the chocolates, as per usual was extremely gracious. I made sure they were packed up good and solid & mentioned I hoped she had room. She said she would make room.

Hanging out at the Library 🙂

We had such a fabulous time. Meeting so many new members for our group & having extra moments with Diana. We were leaving the library all together when I thought to myself “LIFE MADE” because I made her laugh. Lil ole me…might not seem like such a big deal but I do love to make people giggle and making Diana laugh was a special thing for me. We were all tromping down the stairs (Diana doesn’t tromp – no…she was gliding.heehee) and Kim mentioned she would like to hit the swimming pool at the hotel for a dip. In which I had to remind her I forgot my swimsuit so “Ummmm yeah Kim, I’d have to go naked and girlfrien’ ain’t NO ONE wanna see THAT!” in which Diana looked over her should with a laugh. In that moment my heart skipped a beat and yes…I thought “Life made.” However…Friday hadn’t happened yet…That was premature speculation.

See what she did there?

I am heading straight for the BIG MOMENT on Friday. Of course we would like to think Diana knows who the ABOotlanders are 🙂 She has shared our Blog in the past, she tweets with us

I don’t make this up…

We aren’t delusional we know we aren’t the only ones, however, we still love our happy lil bubble!

Friday afternoon, a group of the ABOotlanders decide to head to the pub that is attached to the hotel to get a bite to eat & talk about all the awesomeness we have experienced so far. We are talking about Diana’s readings…when Sam (our Sam…not THE Sam…well she is our THE Sam..not the HE THE Sam…ugh..

I want me to shut up now

you understand right?) whispers to us “Diana just walked in…she’s alone.” Huh? What? Now? Here? What? Then Sam looks at me and says “SherryLynn you are the only one with balls big enough to go and talk to her!” I puff up a bit at the compliment but in my head I am thinking “NO I’m not…I left my balls under the sink at home…and that’s 3 hours away!” However, I squared my shoulders, got up from the table & filled with 9 other women who are relying on me and follow Diana around the pub. “Hello Diana” “Oh, Hello”

“Are you here alone (DUH of course she is here alone you bonehead…there is NO ONE with her..save yourself!) or are you expecting someone to join you (good save idjit!)? “No no, I’m here alone.” “I’m here with a few (ok…maybe not a few – more like 9 but who’s counting…hell…I can barely form a thought…math can’t happen) friends and we’d be honoured if you would join us for a bite & a drink if you have the time.” “That would be lovely if you wouldn’t mind.” (Wouldn’t mind…wouldn’t mind….oh my gosh…I am doing everything in my power to keep from grasping your hand and running up those 3 little steps to the table with you and yelling “LOOK WHO I BROUGHT FOR DINNER!“) But I don’t…I take a deep breathe and say “Mind? Diana…I can’t tell you what a thrill it would be!” or something like that…I am sure I gushed but I don’t think I got any on her.

We walk up the tiny steps to the table and the looks on the ladies faces were priceless. They looked like little children seeing Santa on Christmas morning, and Diana graciously smiled to them and THANKED US for letting HER join US. I mean come on…Best Moment. I think I said something to this effect and she made a comment along the lines of her hoping my life was more exciting than that. *snicker* I quite like that about her too. She is “just Diana”. I admire that. But to me…well you all know. Serious lady admiration right there!

The pub was understaffed…oh darn. That gave us lots of time to chat. I certainly didn’t want to sound like I was interviewing her but I had SO many questions to ask. So many things I had always wondered. This was the only opportunity I would ever get. She was sitting right beside me. I could touch her. I tried not to…I think I did once…just to make sure she was real. She was.

I have always suspected & I truly don’t think anyone would be surprised by this however it is something I always wanted to know from her. If she was an introvert. That is a 100% yes. Of course introverts aren’t always what people believe but Diana is one & I respect her greatly for how she carries herself, especially in crowds & with people (like us) vying for her attention.

Second up – I have always watched videos of interviews, read about Diana, & viewed media clips of her (not because I am a creepy freaky stalker…AM NOT!) but because of my draw to her personality. It started for her writing, but her demeanor, introverted nature, say it like it isness, direct style & analytical mind intrigues me.

Way before Outlander became a TV series, her answers to questions or outlook has simply fascinated me. Where I have heard others complain the same answers come again and again…I admire that. It means she is nothing else but 100% authentic. Same question? Same answer. Why in heavens SHOULD it change? To entertain the masses? Hell no. If we want a different answer then someone ought to ask another question right? ANYWAY…when you have listened to her speak for a good long time, you tend to get an idea of how this lady thinks. What her opinions might be on different subjects. So I find myself…while reading certain parts of her books my mind drifting out of the characters I am reading. Such as when Lawrence Stern & Claire are having such conversations about Faith vs Science. Or Claire is struggling with the idea of tying the tubes of a slave being impregnated by her master…my mind drifts from the voice of the character to the voice of Diana and I feel I am listening to her. Her opinions, her voice and her commentary. I wanted desperately to know if I was crazy or if it was a way she was simply slipping “a random” social commentary into the dialogue.

It turns out I am not crazy at all and Diana is IN her books. Not just in her main characters but in her stories, scattered throughout. I love her & her books all the more to hear that sweet detail.

Since I read the books to my husband with our BedTimeStories, I used this to bring up the topic of relationships. Her relationship with Doug is admirable. We spoke about how she usually travels on her own but she made sure to take him when she visited the set – knowing he would in fact have a delightful time before he did. That’s the thing about many relationships, we know. It was lovely to see her face light up as she spoke of him having fun with the crew of the show.

Ain’t LOVE Grand?

Diana is writing episode 2-11 & will be traveling to Scotland again when they film it. It is definitely a different process but one you can tell has challenged her in a good way. It certainly seems she had fun with it. I tried to dig more out of her but she won’t budge & may I say it? I respect the hell out of her for it.

She speaks highly of Sam Heughan…interestingly enough, we spoke of him when we spoke of introverts. I said I had an inkling he shared that same trait with her. She said she thought so too however being an actor he certainly knew how to deal with the public and was a very secure & good natured young man. As we can plainly see in the way she corresponds with him in the public eye on social media, she likes the guy. Letting us know he has a generous & kind guy. It is of course one thing to see this kind of thing in play online…it is quite another to hear it spoken.

You know, having a meal with Diana wasn’t as terrifying as I thought it would be. I do NOT remember what I ate. No idea. I am drawing a total blank. I do know I didn’t have the calamari. *snort*

Yeah Samantha…how could YOU?*snicker*

Conversation was natural with the all the ladies, talking about places to visit. Characters, the books & most of the time “I can’t believe this is happening.” was floating around in my brain. Eventually it turned to “I am so grateful this is happening.”

The ABOotlanders always come prepared. (In fact we were planning on giving this to Diana the next night but Bobbi Jo is awesome and HAPPENED to have it with her and when opportunity knocks – we answer that damn door)

Ok…we answer no matter WHO is at the door. We are a trusting bunch.

We like to get those we admire shirts with our mascot on them. Toger. He’s an adorable beaver. Now…we thought Diana might like a cowl neck, 3/4 cut sleeve, beautiful blue shirt instead of a T-shirt, so AB-Ootlander Bobbi Jo had one made. She had Toger put on Diana’s shirt- on her shoulder…I mean how PERFECT ! Who doesn’t imagine looking over her shoulder while she writes? Maybe Diana will wear this shirt one day while writing & wee Toger will have that gift. I was honoured to present her with the shirt, explaining to her Toger & how he came to be. Telling her how Graham McTavishes reacted to his shirt at Calgary Expo. It was entertaining…and she was, once again…gracious & lovely.

Eventually, Diana finished her meal & it was time to leave – getting her wallet out I assured her that wasn’t necessary. I wanted to take care of that. I couldn’t fathom having shared a meal with her & having her pay for it. THAT just wouldn’t be right on any level. Plus, I am pretty sure simply for the fact I talked and watched her the whole time…I owed it to her.

Here take it…take it all…I owe you so much more than lunch!

We had 2 more days of Diana readings, visits & banquets. I also asked her permission to talk about our “date” here – which I received.

The ABOotlanders who attended pose with Diana at the Western Themed Banquet

The ABOotlanders pose with Diana at the Western Themed Banquet

Our Giant Jamie & Semi Giant Claire – Hmmmm- Petite Claire…Hanging out with their favourite person!

Gracious…you would think that would be the one word I would use to describe this woman if I had to. I have thought about that a lot this week…what word would I use?

I have chosen one. Dynamism. It means a great energy, force, or power. That’s what Diana has. A great energy. A force that draws you in. New word! Dianamism. There you go.

I can’t hold off sharing this with you any longer! Naughtlander has taken a lot out of us but this was the restorative we needed…granted…whisky or your bevvie of choice will help, as per, it is always the best cure for Droughtlander!

Click to see the 1st of our blogs Diana shared on her FB page

ABOotlanders w/Sher

Proudly Canadian Outlander FanGroup based in Alberta

Category Archives: Toger

We are OBSASSENACHS because they want us to be…

Emotional bridges. Looking back on Episode 5 of Outlander.

Until next time,

Sherry (Founder of the ABOotlanders)

A. Malcolm – How we saw it.

Outlander Episode 3 – Heartstones , amiright?

Canadian’s aren’t in Scotland anymore…Outlander FUN!

Do you still LOVE Outlander?

Bucketlist — Dining with Diana – CHECK…holy snapping turtles…that’s a CHECK!

I can’t hold off sharing this with you any longer! Naughtlander has taken a lot out of us but this was the restorative we needed…granted…whisky or your bevvie of choice will help, as per, it is always the best cure for Droughtlander!

KINDNESS & LOTS OF LOVE coming your way!

SherryLynn- ABOotlander in Chief