Hello, friends, and welcome to this week’s EarperView!

I have heard the phrase “she’s the best of us” tossed around a lot in reference to Earpers, and I have to say that unless you’re talking about Lynn Rachels, you’re wrong.

Lynn is truly, unequivocally the best of us.

I have hung out with Lynn several times now, and she’s the very epitome of what an Earper should be — kind, generous, hysterical, and a good friend to all who meet her. The Earper community is lucky to have her (and her bracelets and her postcards), and I am lucky to call her my friend.

Also, as I put together this EarperView for my blog, I kept reading excerpts of it to my wife, who said I should have had Lynn record her answers because people would have taken such great joy in listening to Lynn talk.

Tell us a little about your non-Earper alter ego.

I am a Georgia girl! I was born and raised in Augusta. I have lived in Atlanta and currently reside in the beautiful city of Savannah! A year ago, I retired from a 30-year career as an educator. I spent 22 years as a classroom teacher and 8 as an Assistant Principal in various Middle Schools! Throughout my career, I taught all the major subjects except Science. I closed out my career as a Creative Writing Teacher and Testing Coordinator. Working with students as an educator was a very rewarding career, but happy to have moved on to another chapter in my life!

I am currently living my best retired life as a tennis bum, #Earper, and caregiver for my Mom! I enjoy traveling, meeting new people, talking Wynonna Earp, and being a big old TV/Movie/Broadway nerd!

How did you find Wynonna Earp and the fandom?

I have been a fan of westerns, both on TV and movies, since I was a kid! I happen to be watching SYFY in early January 2016 and saw a commercial for Wynonna Earp. Already a fan of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, the commercial had me intrigued from the start! I immediately went over to my calendar and wrote “Wynonna Earp Begins” on April 1st!

From the moment the show began, I knew I was hooked! What a creative take on the historic Earp family! Melanie immediately stole my heart! Emily Andras and her writing team have created a world I look forward to being a part of each week!

Also, in June 2016, I was driving home from my mom’s house on a Sunday morning and suddenly a thought popped into my mind, “I wonder what that Twitter thing is and does it include Wynonna Earp?” That night I signed up on the Twitter site, found the #Earpers, and have never looked back!

Is this your first fandom?

Yes, this is definitely my first fandom! I have been a fangirl in silence since my elementary school days of coming home from school and lying on the couch watching I Love Lucy, The Beverly Hillbillies, Bewitched, F Troop and so many more! It has been such an amazing experience to find like-minded fans of a show I adore! Plus, getting to communicate with #Earpers all over the world in nothing short of incredible!

What is your favorite fandom memory?

This could also be the answer for the next question, but I have another answer for it, so here goes! My favorite fandom memory happened at SDCC this year! First of all, it was an incredible stroke of luck that I was able to attend in the first place! A wonderful friend arranged for me to purchase a ticket, a collaborative #Earper effort on Twitter secured me a place to stay, and from the moment I arrived, #Earper Angels were making sure I experienced it all! I met and reconnected with so many wonderful friends and heard countless stories of kindness throughout the weekend! What a testament to a show that embodies courage, love, kindness, acceptance, and found family, to have so many #Earpers (including myself) experience acts of selfless kindness during the con! Wow, I love this fandom!

What is your favorite con memory?

I have lots of answers to this question, but I will settle on just two. The first happened at ClexaCon 2017. It was on Friday, I was wearing my #Fandras shirt, it was my turn to say hello and get an autograph from Emily. She jumped up and came out from around the table and hugged me, but “thumbs downed” the shirt! I introduced myself, but she already knew who I was from Twitter! I was amazed, touched, and forever a rider on the Earp Bus!  

The second happened on Thursday morning of SDCC at approximately 5:30am in the line to get into the con! Ash, Lisa and I happen to stand next to a Reporter and Cameraman from NBC San Diego. The reporter asked us where we were from and when Lisa said, “Australia”, her interest in us went up tremendously! She asked if we would talk to her on camera. All three of us said, “Sure!” In the meantime, I pulled out two Wynonna Earp bracelets (that shouldn’t surprise anyone) and asked if either of them had heard of our show, since it was the primary reason we were attending the con. I gave them the bracelets and the three of us proceeded to run off at the mouth about how amazing the show is! We talked about #Earpers, the fandom, cons specifically for WE, and all of this from a show that has only aired 25 episodes and the S3 premiere was on Friday!

A few minutes later, the reporter stuck the microphone in our faces and asked the question, “Why do we like it so much?” I immediately froze for a second and thought of Melanie Scrofano and how she couldn’t get the words out when asked what the show is about. I did manage to smile a lot and say it includes strong female characters, a female superhero. Ash and Lisa chimed in with strong LGBTQ representation. Lisa also mentioned the Premiere at the Horton Theatre. We did make in on the broadcast! Thanks to Audra Stafford, the reporter, sending Lisa a copy of the interview; IDW, SYFY, Emily were all tagged and saw it, too! We were three proud #Earpers honored to be spreading the word about Wynonna Earp! After it was all over, I had to laugh to myself, because a career in front of the camera is definitely not in the cards for me!

What is your favorite Wynonna Earp/Earper activity?

My favorite activity is to create a new Wynonna Earp bracelet for each con I attend and then passing them out! It is such a joy to spread my enthusiasm for the show in such a tangible way! I also try to remember the #ComicCants by mailing out any bracelets I have left over to #Earpers around the world who weren’t able to attend!

I have also started mailing out customized postcards about every six weeks just to say hello and spread a little love! My list at the present time is about 60 #Earpers. I am hoping to create a database of a lot more #Earpers and then randomly select around 100 (both USA and abroad) each time to mail out! I will let everyone know once I have a plan to capture the new addresses, so more of you can be a part of Operation #Earper Postcard! I would love to reach as many #Earpers as I can!

What has Wynonna Earp come to mean to you?

The first thing is that I have a quality TV show with all the right ingredients to watch and root for every week! I have a new “found family” of kind, generous, compassionate, caring, loving, and extraordinary people in my life now! I am a very proud #Earper and happy that this little show has enhanced my life in the most wonderful ways!

Are there any pictures you’d like to share of your Wynonna Earp experience?

Sweet Potato or Yukon Gold Potato?

Wow, this is a hard question! I am a meat-and-potatoes kind of girl, so I eat a lot of both! Since I have to choose, I will go with Yukon Gold Potato mashed with lots of butter please!

On a scale of 1 – 10, how much do you Fandras?

Twenty-five! Oh sorry not one of the choices, but it is the truth!

Describe why Fandras is a thing in 7 words.

Emily is a damn good bus driver!

What is your favorite Earp Sisters moment?

There are so many wonderful Earp Sister moments so far, but the one I will mention came early in Season 2 Episode 12, “I Hope You Dance.” It happens after Waverly and Wynonna confront The Widows and Bobo. The sisters are lying in the grass hugging and talking. Waverly apologizes, explains how she blew up Jeremy, Nicole, and their barn to bring her back, and Wynonna in true Wynonna form says, “That’s sweet! When this is done, I’m gonna shove grass down your pants, just to watch you squirm. But…for now…come here. (They hug!)”

I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention from that same episode, in Shorty’s Bar with Rosita and the baby coming. Wynonna saying, “Waverly Earp. Yes, Earp! You listen to me! You are one of the good guys. The best of us. And you are…just as much a part of me as this baby!” Waverly follows up as she is leaving with the baby, “You’re wrong, Wynonna. You’re the best of us!”

How have you Earped your life?

I have added cons into my life thanks to Wynonna Earp! I have attended ClexaCon two years in a row, Dragon Con, SDCC, and already have plans to attend EHCon, Earpapalooza, ClexaCon 2019, and EarpExpo. I am an avid Twitter #Earper, I have a dozen or so WE shirts, I create wristbands for every con I attend, stickers on my car, #Earper license plate, Wynonna Earp Wall of Fame, and most of all, I try to always be kind and courteous in my daily life!

What is the Earpiest thing you have ever done?

Not sure exactly what this question is asking for, because I am always Earping it up whenever possible! But a certain incident popped into my head, so here goes. It was at ClexaCon this year and I was coming down the escalator. I noticed a young lady going up the escalator who didn’t have one of my Wynonna Earp bracelets. Instead of getting her attention and asking her to wait at the top while I ride down and come back up, I turned and headed up the down escalator. I passed several other guests going down whose facial expressions were priceless, and I know they thought I had lost my mind! I trudged on until I got almost to the top and because the steps keep coming and disappearing, I almost fell trying to conquer the last three of them. I finally made it to the top, to the horror of the young lady I was trying to give the bracelet to! But, darn it, when you make a fool of yourself, you should give it 110%! I was just so determined to give her a bracelet! Not my finest hour!

What would Purgatory look like if Faith the Vampire Slayer suddenly showed up?

This is a very hard question for me to answer because I am not sure I actually need/want to see Faith in Purgatory. The truth is, I already see Faith there in Wynonna! Their characters parallel in a lot of ways. Both have a damaged background. Both often make wrong decisions trying to do the right thing. There is a constant pull between good and evil. But, in the end, they have a big heart, survival instincts, will protect the ones they love at all costs, and ultimately save the world.

Any last comments? [ Editor’s note — this is not my question and instead is one Lynn added herself! ]

In the words of Paul Harvey (Google him), here is the rest of the story…As probably one of the oldest #Earpers, I just wanted to take a moment to share a few thoughts that have helped me along the way!

1. Always keep moving forward…it is okay to remember the past and perhaps learn from it…but do not dwell!
2. See the natural beauty in the world around you! See the glass half full!
3. Always be kind and courteous! Smile whenever you can!
4. Be the hero of your own story!
5. Cherish the ones you love! Found family is often the best family!
6. Never take anything for granted! Never leave something unsaid!
7. Lucky number 7! I heard this many years ago on the radio. Paul Harvey was asking very elderly people what they felt attributed to their long life. One of the women who had just turned 100 years old said, “Always have something to look forward to!” And I always do!

I love this Little Shit Show! I love Emily, the cast, the writers, the crew, and the #Earpers! I am proud to be a part of this #Earper fandom! In the words of two of my favorite Broadway characters, “Because I knew you, I have been changed for good!”

Hello, friends. I do have one final story to tell in the Legend of Lynn. At EH Con, Nedley’s Office/Jill and I were behind Lynn for a photo op with Melanie Scrofano. Lynn walked up to Melanie and said, “I’m just gonna stand right here like this, and I want you to stand as close to me as possible.” Thus the Greatest Earper Con Photo Activity, Lynning, was born.

Everyone was doing it! I even got to Lynn Lynn!

Thank you so much for reading, everyone, and Lynn — thank you from all of us for being your kind, wonderful, perfect Earper self. We love you. So much.