Best reason to read Historical Romance fiction

 It has characters that actually existed and it is a fascinating learning experience .

Introduction to the Iceberg of Outlander

January 2019

When the adverts for the fourth season of The Outlander were playing in the fall they grabbed my

interest as they seemed like something I'd be interested in. However, I had not watched the first three seasons so in the hope I could find them in repeats I starting taped the fourth . Never found repeats or DVD's to borrow so added them to my Christmas list. Didn't get them and although I could get them for myself found the first three seasons on Netflix. Watched episode one of the first season, it grabbed more than my interest so watched the second and third episodes. By then I wanted to know much more. "Maybe I should read the books", I thought. Downloaded the first via our public library. Now the characters where coming alive in the book and I was hooked.

I have roots from the Scottish Highlands, a 4^th great Grandfather who emigrated to Canada in the later 1700's and it seems he may have lived somewhere in the area the book was centered around. A few years ago I had more or less pinned down where he emigrated from so looked on a map as to where  Iverness compared the where my ancestor was living before coming to Canada. Noticed a Fort William about where he came from.

However, thought my hubby may be interested too and he decided to give it a try. We watched the first three episodes together and I was picking up more bits and pieces of it such as Fort William, that for sure was in the area I had for my 4^th Great Grandfather Ewing McMillan. Now because the Mackenzie Clan seems to have owned an area  north of the fort tried to find out how the McMillan Clan fit in – too confusing to figure out with Goggle searches, Some serious reading and a lot of research would be needed...perhaps I can contact the McMillan Clan and find out more What has happened though is I can picture my ancestors in the middle of what was happening in the mid 1700's and possibly realized why I cannot pinpoint the McMillan Clan.

Thought I had found the passenger ship list with my Grandfather and his brother, Dougal But not so sure now the more I read and watch I have any of the above right.

Diane Gabaldon's Outlander series is the sort of book I enjoy – historical romance. Of course many fiction books that include historical facts also have some violence, lewdness and goriness to them but they are likely a true picture of what it was like  during that time as genealogy has taught me.

We will continued to watch Season One until it is finished. In the meantime I am reading Outlander, it will take some time to finish as it is over 1,000 pages.

Had planned to hold off on watching more of the series until I caught up in the book (after 6 segments) but changed my mind as the characters, as mentioned before, are coming to life in the book as are the sets in the videos are giving them a place to be.

Another thing the book is doing is 'teaching' me new words (most historical books do). As a Creative Writing leader told me about 13 years ago when I tried my hand at a fiction story  based in the 50's  "You need to use the term that would have been used back then.",   I had written mentally challenged  about one of the characters , a youth – that was the end of trying fiction for me I could not do it...

When Claire Randell the main character in Outlander mentioned L'Heure a cologne that brought back imagines of Aunt Gloria, my Uncle Robert's first wife. Not sure why I thought of my aunt it just seemed at the time that she likely used that cologne. Did a Google search for it and the tie to Aunt Gloria became stronger. Do I have an image of it stuck in my head that refuses to come out?

Robert and Gloria married in the early 50's when I was a very impressionable young girl who wanted to be like older girls, thus a young woman that took my sister Linda and I downtown to see Santa Claus and the wonders of the Eaton's children's Christmas area with the magical ride on train, left her mark on me. Should mention that my Uncle Robert was with us too but other that his fancy car he was in the background in my mind.

While I was searching for L'Heure which is available on-line, also checked on two of my favorite colognes from our early married years. Bluegrass by Elizabeth Arden which I had taken on our honeymoon and White Shoulders by Evyan For Women I always associate it with our first anniversary as it was new to me then. Blue Grass and White Shoulders out of the drawer  and put them where I will see them daily,  vowing to wear the colognes more than I have in years as they both take me back to special moments in my young woman days and why let something I teases my senses with to stir up pleasant memories from so far back in time  to dry up.

Have not bought either for years and the bottle of White Shoulder I have is at at 19 year old -  Dad gave it to me thanks to my sister Linda who knew me so well. Took both the
Will also mentioned in a veiled method that my husband is enjoying Outlander much more than either of us expected wink, wink or are the fragrances of days long gone by responsible?







Outlander is the first book in a series of at least 9 to date and apparently between them there are more than 9,000 pages. Seem I have set myself quiet a goal for 2019 as I plan to read them all. Diane Gabaldon is writing the 10th now.
 So looking forward to reading this historial romance series/

January 16th - Ordered the first five books and doubt that I will complete the goal I see of reading the series. There or over 5,000 pages in the first five books alone Wow!



“Lying on the floor, with the carved panels of the ceiling flickering dimly above, I found myself thinking that I had always heretofore assumed that the tendency of eigh­teenth-century ladies to swoon was due to tight stays; now I rather thought it might be due to the idiocy of eighteenth-century men. ”
― Diana Gabaldon,     Dragonfly in Amber 

Starting a New Journey

 At the end of October 2018 I had a bone density scan as I could be a candidate for Osteoporosis so it is monitored every three years or so. Mom supposedly had Osteoporosis. I say supposedly because she got different diagnoses from different doctors... The huge Calcium pills she was prescribed were too big for her to swallow, that was all the doctor's did for her -not that it would have done much for her then as she was well into Osteoporosis by that time. Her back was humped, I could see over her head and at one time we had been the same height. Mom lost so much weight before her death she was a little tiny thing.

My three sisters have/had all been on medication as was I because I was on the outside edge of Osteoporosis and have lost ¾ to an inch in height . For three or four years I took it faithfully until I didn't want to anymore because it is said not to work after a few years.... The last scan I had before going off Actonal was no worse then the one before the medication. I promised myself I'd get my calcium, Vitamin D and weight bearing exercise. Didn't take long to go off track with the exercise... Thus before I went in October and until the results scan were in I was concerned sure that because of my own laziness and empty excuses I'd end up on medication again. No! The results were okay so Actonel (Risedronate) does not have to be added to my medications.

However, when I saw my weight before the scan I was shocked. Decided by day's end I was going to lose 15 pounds by end of January 2019.

Started off really well and lost five pounds in November - then the wheels fell off the cart and I gained 2.5 back by December 15th. Now disappointment and discouragement set in I was ready to give up. That night there was a block potluck. It was once again a turning point for me. One of our neighbors had lost so much weight over the last few months we have to look twice before we realize it is her. She looks great, full of energy and glowing. Just happened to be following her around the pot-luck food table and she explained a bit about how she is doing it. Weight Watchers Smart Points.  Found out that fruits, vegetables, fish, eggs and white meat chicken or turkey have zero points.

Curiosity sent me to the Canadian Weight Watchers Web site December 16^th and I joined on-line. Spent the first week learning the Smart Points and putting meals together that added up or below my daily Smart Points quota. On the 24^th I weighted- in and was down 4.5 pounds from what I registered as the week before. What a boost that was. Next weight-in is the 31 and although I expect to be down some it will not be to the goal I set back in November of five pounds a month, I am going down. Sure it will be better than it would have been without talking to my neighbor and joining Weight Watchers.

Over the last two weeks I have been creating a list of the foods I eat plus the value in Smart Points. As well as increasing the time or activities I do for fitness points. There have been a few shocks about some of the foods I love for instance a Big Mac and small fries is worth more points than I am allowed for a day . In fact a cupcake and a serving of ice cream would pretty well be a day's worth. When I couldn't find Christmas plum pudding I bought a little 1 serving whiskey cake, (I'm the only one that likes plum pudding and only because it was a tradition) RIGHT ! The whiskey cake is 17 points for the little thing so I only had a quarter of it. 

The fridge and pantry has been stocked with zero foods. I've looked ahead at what celebrations we are going to have as I am not depriving myself of foods that are only around this time of year so I can plan the other meals and days around them. I try to leave some points for a treat each day and often have points left over.

Christmas treats could be hanging out for a long time as most of them were bought before my eyes were opened to what I have been consuming :D My hubby hid my stocking chocolates from me so I could be eating them until Easter :D The eggnog I love has been frozen in ice cube trays, each ¼ cup cube is worth 4 points so with milk 5 or 6 depending on the ½ glass of milk I add it to – it is now one of my treats. And just enough not to feel deprived of it.

If we have mashed potatoes as we did with Christmas dinner I add grated cauliflower to mine. Little tricks that that help to have favorites without adding to the points (calories if you want to see it that way). Lentils another zero point food are great mixed in with other side dishes such a rice (so is grated cauliflower) Some will be going in the beef and vegetable chili I an making for dinner.

Some of the activy points have been a shock. This morning I recorded 45 minutes for laundry it was worth 1 point. WHAT ? 20 minutes on the elliptical was only 2 again WHAT? Not sure now long I will stay as a Weight Watchers member in the meantime I'm learning everything I can about the points, (a formula) ditto for the fitness and have joined a couple of Facebook groups for support, tips and encouragement . Plus Via Texture I can read WW magazines online and take photos of the recipes etc. I like. The magazine will be available to me as long as I am a Texture member. 

(Photos above: Starting photo mind you I had layers on but  that bulk is not all clothing. A reninder of what to stay away from and what to eat for sure (protein)  breakfast, lunch and dinner - not on same day though )

By the time spring rolls around I should be fit and slim, and ready to take on Italy in May when we go on a couch tour. 

January 1 2019 -Yesterday was weight-in and I only lost 0.9 pounds (14.4 ounces) during the week. I was disappointed and had to give myself a good talking too. Really did I expect to go down 3 or 4 pounds a week? It has taken me several years to get to what I was before November 1 2017 so why would it come off in a matter of weeks? Picked myself up and added the 0.9 to my visual resource, a (photo) bag filled with stones now equal to 7 pounds 14.4 ounces or 3.55 Kilograms. Wow is what I

should call that bag :D Also thought about the way my health and body is appreciating not carrying around that 3 plus kg. I feel it from my head down to my legs, my underwear, especially bra, and my jeans are not as snug. My neck and shoulder not as sore - my whole body is appreciating the replacement of some sitting with exercise for instance my legs are not as tired or achy.

Last night while waited for 2019 to come in we had shrimp cocktail (0 Smart Points) and I tried to drink some watered down- Peach Schnapps over ice it would have been worth 2 points, 1.5 went down the drain, seems my tummy is changing what it likes to be filled with.

And that is how I have ended 2018 :D