There was time for a wander up and down the aisles of the vendors’ stalls, selling everything from tartan ties to penny whistles, silver jewelry, clan maps of Scotland, butterscotch and shortbread, letter openers in the shape of claymores, lead Highland figures, books, records, and every imaginable small item on which a clan badge or motto could be imprinted.
Diana Gabaldon, Drums of Autumn (Chapter 4 – A Blast from the Past)
The English had always thought the Scottish Highlanders barbarians; I had never before considered the possibility that others might feel likewise. But these men had seen a ferocious savage, and approached him with due caution, arms at the ready. And Jamie, horrified beforehand at the thought of savage Red Indians, had seen their rituals—so like his own—and known them at once for fellow hunters; civilized men.
Even now, he was speaking to them quite naturally, explaining with broad gestures how the bear had come upon us and how he had killed it. They followed him with avid attention, exclaiming in appreciation in all the right places. When he picked up the remains of the mangled fish and demonstrated my role in the proceedings, they all looked at me and giggled hilariously.
I glared at all four of them.
“Dinner,” I said loudly, “is served.”
We shared a meal of half-roasted meat, corn dodgers, and whisky, watched throughout by the head of the bear, which perched ceremonially on its platform, dead eyes gone dull and gummy.
Diana Gabaldon, Drums of Autumn (Chapter 15, Noble Savages)
It’s giveaway time again! The perfect kind of blog post for a holiday kind of week. (Here in North America at least.)
I think this one is a lot of fun. Oh, it’s a bit of work — 13 questions in all — but you should be able to answer at least a few of them off the top of your head. And for the rest, there’s Google…(Did you know that you can drag almost any image into the search box on Google Images, and it will tell you what the picture is? BIG HINT.)
And the payoff is worth it! I’ll leave you in suspense and wait until the end to unveil the prize, but I’m pretty sure you’ll be in once you see it. So kick back for 10 minutes, put on your thinking cap, and join me for an Outlander journey around the world…
“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 them to 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.
Diana Gabaldon, Drums of Autumn (Chapter 70 - The Gathering)
“Wow!” She walked round him in a circle, goggling. “Roger, you are gorgeous!” She smiled, a trifle lopsided. “My mother always said men in kilts were irresistible. I guess she was right.”
He saw her swallow hard, and wanted to hug her for her bravery, but she had already turned away, gesturing toward the main food area.
“Are you hungry? I had a look while you were changing. We’ve got our choice between octopus-on-a-stick, Baja fish tacos, Polish dogs–”
He took her arm and pulled her round to face him.
“Hey,” he said softly. “I’m sorry; I wouldn’t have brought you if I’d know it would be a shock.”
“It’s all right.” Her smile was better this time. “It’s — I’m glad you brought me.”
“Truly?”
“Yeah. Really. It’s –” She waved helplessly at the tartan swirl of noise and color all around them. It’s so — Scottish.”
Diana Gabaldon, Drums of Autumn (Chapter 4 – A Blast from the Past)
