#WiskyWednesday, Outlander, and My Life

According to the Hash Tags that Be, today is #WhiskyWednesday. So, I sit with just a wee dram of 10 year old Glengloyne* single malt whisky trying to think of a blog post. When I looked at the bottle of whisky, the idea for this post came to me...

A long time ago, in the Left Armpit of America**, my best friend suggested I read a book that she'd discovered and devoured. That book was Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. Like the dutiful friend that I am, I bought it. I loved it.

Since then, I've purchased all the hard bound books, most of them signed by Herself, and have listened to the audiobooks many a times. Like any great story, it provided me an escape, let me be with characters that made no demands of me other than to enjoy their story, immersed me in history, gave me food for thought, and inspired my own time-travel story.

But the story didn't stop there. The book series has had an incredible effect on my life. I could try to be poetic about it, but that's not my way. Lists, bulleted lists, that's my way. So here is a list of ways that the story has influenced my life ...

• A love for another book series that starts with Into the Wilderness
• The chance to be internet friends with the writer of the Wilderness Series
• The chance to have Wilderness Series author as my editor (Squee!)
• A love of all things Scottish especially shortbread, Edinburgh, and Stirling Castle***
• A whole new group of songs in my music library: Martyn Bennett music, techno bagpipe music, Hey Donald Set by Scottish Women, The Red Hot Chile Pipers (listen to them on the How to Train Your Dragon II soundtrack as well), my favorite traditional Scottish music podcast, Duncan Chisolm, Julie Fowlis, and a soon-to-be-favorite Salsa Celtica
• A place to enjoy the first weekend of November: Tucson Celtic Festival and Scottish Highland Games
• Bagpipes
• Two Irish Dancers in the family, because the older daughter/dancer saw Irish dancers in their blinged-out dresses at the Celtic Festival
• Because of all the waiting during the girls' classes at the Irish dance studio, a group of dance moms that I am glad to call my friends
• An unforgettable trip to Scotland with my family, my best friend, and her family
• A new TV show to watch over and over again
• An appreciation for single malt scotch (so long as it isn't peaty)
• A career writing stories (I hope)

Who knows how else my life will be enhanced by this book series? Could be that one of my stories does this for a future reader.

All that from a hash tag and a book.

* For those that can get it, the 18year Glengloyne is much better than the 10 year.

** The Left Armpit of America = Cleveland, OH. I know it has cleaned up nicely and is quite livable. I lived there 1994-1996 and loved going down to the Flats and dancing at the Smart Bar.  I also met my husband and best friend while I was at CWRU during that time. What mars the whole experience for me is surviving two break-ins (one in which the thief came into my bedroom while I was asleep and woke me up) and two winters of lake effect snow.

*** Well I don't know about haggis, as I haven't tasted it.