I love to read, and I read every day.  My Kindle is a constant companion.  It is not surprising to find me in a bookstore.  By happy coincidence, I happened to be at the bookstore August 9^th, and saw the Outlander series display featuring the book with stars of the television series Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe on the cover.

I was immediately drawn to the display as I read Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, and Voyager three years ago based on a friend’s recommendation.  Diana Gabaldon is the author of the Outlander book series.  Thrilled that one of my favorite books had been adapted to television, I rushed home to figure out what day and time on Starz the series would air.  Pleasantly surprised and relieved that I had not missed any of the episodes, I made plans to be camped in front of my television that Saturday night.

The television series airs on Starz Saturday nights at 9:00 p.m.  The show quickly became appointment television for me, and I didn’t miss an episode.  We have seen the first eight episodes in the United States, and the second half of the season will air April 4, 2015.  If your cable bundle does not include Starz, call your cable provider right away.  The series is definitely worth the price of the subscription.

Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander Series, posted a widget on October 12^th from one of her Twitter followers that counted down the time until April 4, 2015.  Thank you @SirenSassenach and @Writer_DG!

Now with 22 weeks before the second half of the series is televised, I find myself experiencing Outlander Withdrawal.  I heard bagpipes outside my classroom window last week, and thought I was hallucinating.  I peeked out the window, and was admittedly comforted when I spotted a traditionally dressed gentleman playing at a beautiful church service.  I am sure he was wondering why I was staring at him as I left school for the day.  He was getting into his car which sported a Scottish flag license plate and a NE FL Scottish Games magnet on the side. (www.neflgames.com, as well as a Facebook page)

I also have a series case of Outlander Selective Attention. Chevette Alston, via education-portal.com, defines Selective Attention as,” simply the act of focusing on a particular object for a period of time, while simultaneously ignoring irrelevant information that is also occurring. This occurs on a daily basis and can be seen in how people pay attention to something and how much attention is given at that time.  Because it is impossible to give attention to every stimulus in our environment…People are often attuned to give attention to what appeals to our senses or to what is familiar. For example, when you are hungry you are more likely to give attention to the smell of roast chicken cooking rather than the sound of the phone ringing.”  I can now spot a Scottish flag within seconds. I find myself striking up conversations with random people because I detect an accent, hoping it is Scottish. I want to pull my husband’s kilt out of the closet, and ask him to model if for me.  I even dusted off his LP’s.

While planning Halloween activities in my classroom, I pulled this book out first from a basket full of fall themed fun.

My friends and family are going to start avoiding me because I find ways to work the book and the television series into every conversation.

For now, I want to reread the book. I realized that I downloaded it the first time on my Iphone 4.  I was so enthralled; I didn’t even pay attention to the length.  I purchased Outlander again from the bookstore and look forward to immersing myself in 18^th Century Scotland, getting to know Claire, and falling in love with Jamie all over again. Dragonfly in Amber and Voyager are already on my Kindle, and I have Drums of Autumn and The Fiery Cross in paperback.  The show has already been picked up for a second season which would be based on Dragonfly in Amber.  I don’t want to miss any of the well thought out details.

I am sitting here stunned as I type finishing my first blog post.  Reading is second nature, but it never occurred to me before to write anything.  This is definitely a step out of my comfort zone, but I find myself inspired by the Outlander book series and television series on Starz.  I hope you enjoyed my first post.  I like to read posts on blogs, Facebook, and Twitter, but usually don’t post anything.  I look forward to your comments, and suggestions for how to pass the time until April 4^th.

J Mc