Saturday, November 28, 2009

Thanksgiving

Turkey is good. Turkey sandwiches are better. Eaten without the distraction of pumpkin pie, mashed rutabagas (not my idea of a good time, but tastes vary), yam fries with maple aioli, and the other fripperies of a Thanksgiving table, turkey achieves its highest calling between two slices of bread.

I like two kinds of turkey sandwiches. The night-of-Thanksgiving turkey sandwich, eaten late and alone, in the peaceful muzziness that follows a successful party, is moist white meat on 12-grain bread, with Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, and leafy lettuce. With a nice glass of a full-bodied chardonnay to go with. Ahhhhh.

Day-after-Thanksgiving turkey sandwich is a little fancier. Eaten for lunch (with Diet Coke if working in the afternoon, otherwise, more wine [g]), again on 12-grain bread, but mixed white and dark meat, thickly daubed with gorgonzola cheese, heavily studded with walnuts, and layered with a sliced ripe pear. You put mayonnaise on the bread, but mostly to keep it all stuck together. Oooooh.

But of course turkey (etc.) is not the primary reason to celebrate Thanksgiving. (No, really. Add in a nice bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne, and I'm not saying, but….no, really.) So let us concentrate on the essentials.

I'm thankful for whatever it is that makes me write books.

I'm very thankful for those of you who read the books, because I might tell stories to amuse myself, but it's having those stories read that closes the cosmic circle of creation.

I'm especially thankful to have met so many of you (in the US, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia) over the last two months. I've never met so many nice people in such a short period of time. But…

I'm most thankful of all to be home with my family!

Hope you all had a lovely day, and much to be thankful for, whether you celebrate Thanksgiving or not.
Posted by at
Labels:

36 comments:

  1. WarPonyNovember 28, 2009 at 3:45 AM

    I am also thankful for whatever it is that makes you write books. *big grin*

    ReplyDelete
  2. BethanyNovember 28, 2009 at 5:00 AM

    I am thankful you gave us all our Outlander friends, that can walk with us through life now. No really, I often say "What would Claire do?" since there's already a bracelet out there to remind us "What Would Jamie Do?" :) Have a wonderful time with your family - you have earned a break! Thanks for traveling around to see so many of us! -Bethany, Atlanta, GA. (annual fan at Decatur Book Fest)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Karen HenryNovember 28, 2009 at 5:45 AM

    I'm thankful for a successful Thanksgiving feast (only my second time hosting Thanksgiving at my house, but it went perfectly and everyone had a good time). I'm very thankful for ECHO, of course!! (Especially now that I've seen what a tremendous amount of time and effort it takes to produce one of these books.)

    And I'm thankful for a truly amazing year, during which I found myself doing things online that I would never have imagined just a couple of years ago. My parents think I've sort of lost my mind. My brother says I'm "blossoming". <g> My sister says she sees aspects of my personality coming out online that she didn't know existed. It's been a wonderful experience, and I'm so grateful to you for giving me this opportunity.

    I'm also very thankful that I got the chance to meet you in person, finally. <g>

    Karen

    ReplyDelete
  4. JewelNovember 28, 2009 at 7:21 AM

    What Warpony said... and so happy that I found your blog. I am still worried about Jem in the dark by himself though....

    ReplyDelete
  5. Carole and ChewyNovember 28, 2009 at 7:43 AM

    I am also thankful for your books.
    First they got me through the Bush years (discovered Outlander the morning after the 2000 election, and read the series three times over in a row. They gave me a much pleasanter place to be in).

    And this year, Echo came out just after DH had a massive heart attack. Read it three times during the last three months of his recouperation.

    Jamie and Claire are family, and as such I can't leave the books sitting at any thrift store,library sale,yard sale,etc I go to - so I have many copies -enought to be able to hand Outlander to friends and say "you have to read these!" Then they go off scouting for the rest.

    Have a wonderful holiday and new year!

    ReplyDelete
  6. UnknownNovember 28, 2009 at 7:43 AM

    Thank you for your stories! And thank you for being so generous and accommodating to your fans. :)

    I look forward to the continuing saga - Echo was fabulous!

    Hugs,

    Judie

    ReplyDelete
  7. LisaWNovember 28, 2009 at 8:54 AM

    I am thankful for my family too. I learned, this year, never to take them for granted, we almost lost my mom in April.

    Thank you Diana for your gift of writing, it has added so many wonderful friends to my life.

    Glad you made it through your long journey around the world.

    LisaW

    ReplyDelete
  8. KeriNovember 28, 2009 at 10:12 AM

    I'm about 200 pages into Echo and taking it slowly to savor it! I'm thankful for wonderful books!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Karen BowersNovember 28, 2009 at 10:32 AM

    once again your words captivate me.

    "yam fries with maple aioli"

    is that a recipe you can share? it sounds wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
  10. LisaNovember 28, 2009 at 1:16 PM

    My family made a poster of things we are thankful for. One of the things I wrote on the poster was your name, Diana. Your books have enriched my life and I am very thankful that you've shared your stories with us!

    ReplyDelete
  11. AmandaNovember 28, 2009 at 1:51 PM

    I'm thankful that you write books, too. They've been keeping me entertained now for the last 15 years.

    Enjoy your holidays and your rest. We all know it's well deserved!

    ReplyDelete
  12. ShannonNovember 28, 2009 at 4:07 PM

    I am very thankful for your wonderful books, as well! They bring so much joy to so many. I am also thankful to be at home with family for the holidays, as well!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Blackbird MarshNovember 28, 2009 at 5:35 PM

    Thanksgiving is the *BEST* of holidays.Family,food and a chance to reflect on the blessings of life.
    I'm wondering if I'm with it though, I left the proverbial Green Bean Casserole setting in the oven.I'm thankful the heat was off.
    My fav turkey sandwich involves a lot of leftovers. Turkey,dressing,cranberry sauce, S&P,lettuce and Mayo..of course. Hard to eat,but yummy.
    I just finished "Echo" and loved every letter. I'm thankful for your curiosity ,the fabulous detail.
    I climbed all over the Corrimony Cairn back in '94 under the gaze of a red bull,behind a fence (another thanks) across the road. There was a crumbling cottage up the road a bit,with a walled graveyard that kept me fascinated till almost dark. Then I got a trifle spooked..
    I suppose we all will make it until the next book release, but it won't be easy!
    Enjoy the Holidays and thanks again.

    ReplyDelete
  14. UnknownNovember 28, 2009 at 6:42 PM

    Hi Diana,

    I am going through withdrawals, I feel the ticks starting again. I am going to have to read Echo one more time.... Really, I was browsing the web and found a video about the casting for the Outlander movie. For a moment I thought it was real and almost died right on the spot. I am grateful to still be alive and waiting patiently on the next chapter. I hope you can enjoy your family through the holidays.

    ReplyDelete
  15. MelonieNovember 28, 2009 at 6:44 PM

    That day after Thanksgiving day sandwich sounds heavenly.

    I too am thankful for whatever makes you write. It was so nice to finally make it to a book signing and meet you, (I always had other obligations before). I saw you at the Chicagoland signing and you were so incredibly warm and relaxed and gracious, thank you.

    Enjoy the time with your family! Pour another glass and relax ;)

    ReplyDelete
  16. loraNovember 29, 2009 at 8:19 AM

    I hope you never get tired of us telling you how thankful we are for your compulsion to tell stories. You make everything you describe(whether it's after-Thanksgiving sandwiches or a walk down your street)as interesting as one of your books.

    ReplyDelete
  17. UnknownNovember 29, 2009 at 9:29 AM

    Thank you for your stories! Thank you for sharing them with us! I am glad you had an enjoyable Thanksgiving with your family!

    ReplyDelete
  18. BelindaNovember 29, 2009 at 12:47 PM

    Thank you for coming to Australia (North Sydney), it was lovely meeting you. And thank you for writing such wonderful books - i cant wait for the next one!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Keeper of the TalesNovember 29, 2009 at 4:14 PM

    I too am thankful for your ability to write books. Gives me something to do at 2am when sleep evades me.
    I think I'll go have a turkey sandwhich now!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Rebel FanNovember 29, 2009 at 5:34 PM

    That thing that makes you write, I'm thankful for it, too.
    Carol

    ReplyDelete
  21. Marnie KNovember 29, 2009 at 8:12 PM

    Thank you for coming to Minnesota and thanks for writing wonderful books that keep me occupied for a few days. :)

    ReplyDelete
  22. LeslieNovember 30, 2009 at 8:06 AM

    I am thankful that you like to write "Big Books' and that you willing held my knitting in Denver at the book signing.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Kathy CampbellNovember 30, 2009 at 9:52 AM

    I'm thankful for whatever makes you write too! It's given me a greater relationship with my mother and mother-in-law. As well as endless entertainment and joy!

    ReplyDelete
  24. DevonNovember 30, 2009 at 10:09 AM

    Im going to repeat what everyone else said, I am so thankful for your imagination and your ability to tell a story. You have no idea how much joy your books have brought to me over the years. Thanks you!

    Oh, i too am also thankful for leftovers! :)

    ReplyDelete
  25. anitainfloridaNovember 30, 2009 at 12:38 PM

    I am so thankful for my family and friends, and especially being able to share the wonderful world of Jamie and Claire. Thank you for your incredible talent.

    The problem with being a guest at my daughter's for the holiday is no leftovers for sandwiches!

    I'm just starting the audio version of Echo in the Bone and wish I had endless hours to listen.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Matthew SchepNovember 30, 2009 at 3:34 PM

    Thank you for coming to New Zealand! I loved your talk in Dunedin. Good luck with your next book, I can't wait for it to come out!

    ReplyDelete
  27. rooruuNovember 30, 2009 at 9:38 PM

    Thanks for the books, which I have gleefully (and successfully) shared with many friends.

    Next time you come to Sydney, if there could be an evening event, I would be so happy. My job doesn't offer flexitime or the option of taking a single day off, so I couldn't attend either of your events, much to my disappointment, as both were during the day on working weekdays. Sigh. I would have very much liked to have been able to go. Surely your publishers don't think all of your readers in Sydney are retired people or students or free to flit off in the middle of the day?

    (With two copies of each of the books, the hardcover keeper and the paperback loaner, and a copy of each on audio, I have to work to afford my Gabaldon habit!!)

    ReplyDelete
  28. Jessica E. BergkvistDecember 1, 2009 at 9:10 AM

    I love the way you mix time travel with real history. The characters are so real. These are some of my all time favorite books!
    Thank you!!!

    ReplyDelete
  29. IagoDecember 1, 2009 at 2:28 PM

    Thankfully (or not) there is no turkey in my fridge right now, or I would have succumbed to the powers of the Dark side and gone and prepared both your sarnies... They both sound absolutely delish!

    Thanksgiving (Veuve or no Veuve) is one of the best Merkin inventions to my mind, and I always pause to do so on that one day of the year, at least. This year, however, I'm pondering how thankLESS the task of procuring a Christmas gift for my wife will be, with European publication of Echo delayed until well AFTER the holidays... Grrrr.

    ReplyDelete
  30. LRHDecember 1, 2009 at 2:33 PM

    Over the last two weeks, I've worked hard to get a friend in France hooked on your books, because they, like most things in life, are better shared. While I was eating Thanksgiving dinner with my ship's crew in Portland, OR, she was at her parents' house, surreptitiously reading away, and by the time I returned, she was hooked. For that, I'm thankful.

    ReplyDelete
  31. AnonymousDecember 1, 2009 at 4:07 PM

    I'm extremely grateful for your ability to write!

    ReplyDelete
  32. Diana GabaldonDecember 2, 2009 at 2:23 AM

    Dear Iago--

    Did you hear about the UK publisher's offer to UK readers? To wit, if you order the hardcover ECHO from amazon.co.uk, just email the receipt to Orion (the UK publisher) and they'll immediately send you a copy of the trade paperback edition of the book that's already published in Australia and New Zealand. Then you'll still get your hardcover in January, when it's published in the UK, but will at least have been able to _read_ it in the meantime (or give it to your wife for Christmas [g]).

    I'll be doing a quick tour in the UK in January, btw; mostly in Scotland--Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Ayr, Dundee--but also in Sheffield in England (plus starting and stopping in London, but don't know whether they're scheduling public events there, or just interviews and the like). So perhaps I'll see you and your wife along the way.

    ReplyDelete
  33. dragon knitterDecember 2, 2009 at 9:03 PM

    while your turkey sandwiches sound divine, my favorite is thus: sliced turkey on a hoagie, with cheddar melted over the meat. theother halfof the bun has cranberry sauce spread on it, then add in 2 slices of crispy bacon, and serve with turkey gravy for dunking. DIVINE!

    i just finished Echo, and HOLY COW! can'twait to see what william's final reaction is.

    ReplyDelete
  34. AnonymousDecember 2, 2009 at 10:00 PM

    In addition to all the usual things, I am thankful for you and Jamie Fraser and all the friends I've further bonded with over our love for all things Outlander and Jamie Fraser. :)

    Thank YOU

    ReplyDelete
  35. KarenDecember 4, 2009 at 1:35 PM

    I'm thankful for whatever it is that makes you write books too! I only live 2 hours south of Nashville, but was unable to be there the night of your book signing. I only pouted for a few days! I've had An Echo in the Bone since early November, but only allowed myself to start reading it during Thanksgiving holiday. It is so nice starting a new book of this series because it is like going home to visit old friends; you just pick up where you left off, and it's like you've not been apart at all.
    Thank you for sharing you gift of writing with all of us!

    Karen P

    ReplyDelete
  36. AnonymousDecember 5, 2009 at 6:51 PM

    Sounds like heaven! I hope you had a wonderful holiday with your family. I am Thankful for the books too. I have spent many many wonderful hours curled up with your books over the years. Time well spent!

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)