Grandma on The Go

We have thought for some time that we’d like to live in other places for a time. We’d originally thought we’d live away for a year at a time but now have reconsidered that. We think that our grandkids wouldn’t be able to visit more than once and my mom would not visit at all. Also, after last year’s emergency with our granddaughter we realized that we can’t leave for so long so think that 4 months would be a good fit for now.

We’d originally thought that we’d go to Alaska for our first stint but after dreaming about operas in Europe for the past few months we think it would be good to start in Europe. We were thinking something close to Vienna, Salzburg and Prague would be good.

I sent out an email to our European friends and one, who has traveled extensively, suggested Austria. He has suggested the area of Wachau area and specifically the cities of Spitz, Weissenburg, Duernstein and Krems. We have just started to look at each city to see if it would be a good fit.

We do want to live in a village, walking distance to the square where we can have coffee. Jen demands a brew pub in the town. We also want to be near transportation or a freeway to get around easily.

Another friend reminded us that her husband works in real estate so can help with housing. We would prefer a house but would take a flat if necessary. We must have 2 bedrooms so that friends and family can visit.

Now we will buy a good map and review the cities suggested both on-line and in the travel books. We will select maybe 2 or 3 and put them out for a vote.

Since we plan to leave in April we must start this process as we will leave in about 1 year from now.

I’m assuming that most of the blog readers have flown, some many times but most have been thru security on more than one occasion. So we all know how very important it is to have our shoes and limited amounts of liquids checked, oh so thoroughly!

I recently flew home on a 2-leg flight and was glad that I actually made it back. My meeting was over at noon and my flight home didn’t leave until 7pm so I was in no hurry at all.

I got to the airport about 3 hours early and actually hoped that I could catch the earlier flight so that I could pick up some Starbucks. I had the check-in email sent to my phone so that I could use it instead of the usual check-in at a kiosk or counter. Since no one was at the counter I mentioned to the representative that I’d check in at security but asked about catching the earlier flight. She said that they’d been having some problems with that system so she’d just get my boarding passes for me and that I couldn’t get the earlier flight. She asked my last name and looked in the computer, finding it quickly. She printed my boarding passes and I was on my way.

I went thru security, they checked my laptop and shoes but the woman behind me had a sparkly sweater and they were concerned about patting this woman down. Wow, now sparkles can be so dangerous you know!

So off I went to finish my Netflix I’d been watching while I waited for my flight. I thought to check my boarding pass just to verify the flight and gate before settling in. What a shock, I was on the earlier flight. I then checked the 2nd leg and saw that it was to Canada. Now I love visiting Canada but hadn’t planned to go there that night. Then I looked more closely and saw that I had boarding passes for a different person. I found that our names were basically the same but slightly different spellings.

I went to the gate desk and pointed out the error. Those boarding passes were snatched from my hands so quick and new ones printed.

Now I understand how the airline made an error but the TSA supposedly scrutinized my boarding pass and photo ID. Hum, now I’m wondering how I got thru? Did they not check? What was that person doing anyway? I mean it isn’t brain surgery that these people are doing. And if I could get thru with someone else’s boarding passes how can we be sure that they won’t give the same amount of inattention to someone who has ill intent.

Just makes you wonder what we are paying for here.

My husband, Dale, and I have been completely immersed in all things “Downton Abbey”. He was still working last year when Season 1 aired so I watched it alone, hooked. Just before Season 2 started in January our Public Television station aired season 1 and I insisted that he watch. After a few minutes he was hooked as well.

So on nearly all of our Sunday evenings for some time now, we could be found in front of out telly! We’d cry at the sad parts and tell the characters what they needed to do.

Then we started watching the episodes of Season 1 on Netflix during the week. We are amazed at what we missed the first round.

When we sat down for Season 2 Episode 6 we decided to have champagne while we watched. We felt a little more like the gentrified people!

On Friday I thought that we should maybe make some Downton type food for Sunday night’s last episode and then we thought that we should invite some friends who we were sure were watching this program too. I called our friends but alas they were going out of town for this long weekend.

I investigated food of Downton and saw that they had many courses that could include a 2nd course of roasted chicken. I remembered seeing the footmen carry platters of small hens up to the dining room in one episode.

Well I didn’t have much for small hens but I did have a couple of chicken thighs in the freezer. I took the thighs out and when they were thawed put them into a pan with cut up carrots, onions, a little garlic, some left over potatoes, salt and pepper. I roasted them for an hour at 325 F. I set up a table on our coffee table so we could be closer to the TV.

We didn’t have any claret but had some red wine which is what claret is. We got out some glasses which are a little closer to the Downton style rather than the larger ones we normally use and used those for our “claret”. We did drink champagne before dinner and then after dinner just to celebrate for the Downton people.

Way too late we thought that we should have had a true viewing party. New plan is that we won’t be found lagging. We will watch the Season 3 episodes as they are shown in the UK; I am the one who reads the last chapter of the book first remember. Then when Season 3 airs here we, of course, will watch the U.S. version. We will then have a small viewing dinner party. Since we have a year to plan I’ll make a dress for myself and will actually make tails for Dale and serve a true Downton type dinner. I wonder who we can get for footmen!

Last minute travel, not all options are great.

So my son called this morning asking if I could come up by 11 tomorrow morning. The new baby will have her heart surgery and they really need someone to care for the 16 month old. Babysitter leaves at 11a.m. and my son has no time off available so they really need someone to help.

I looked at United but there are no flights available for tomorrow morning. The flight for early a.m. isn’t available. Then looked at Amtrak but that arrives at 11:40. It is only $49 but just a little too late and the return is too early. Looked at rental cars, esh- $120 + gas. Realized that I’ll need a round trip so looked at United again but it is $450 even though there is now a flight available. Looks like the best option is driving. UGH 5 hours in the Mazda, my poor back.

Mazda has a clunk but we now think that it may be part of the emission system that won’t pass smog, can’t tag it either but at least the registration fee is paid. Hope I don’t get a ticket for no tags!

I’ll try to leave at 5am. Dale peeled and packed 3 oranges; I cooked and peeled 2 eggs. I have an apple and a gluten free bar. Should make it to Petaluma without starving.

It will be good to see our little 16 month old. She apparently is excited to see her gama and points to the room I stayed in when there.

I’ll drive home tomorrow night picking up other grandkids on the way home. Wish me luck.

Like I posted earlier we were going to fly to Taos, NM in order to save Dale’s Frequent Flier Miles from expiring. Good logic according to us.

We flew into Albuquerque and drove to Taos last night arriving in time to eat dinner. We checked into our hotel, The Historic Taos Inn, right at the plaza. I’d reserved early and got us a room with a kiva (pueblo type fireplace) and we were happily surprised to find wood and fire starter waiting for us. The old hotel is made up of adobe buildings from the 1800’s and I think, but am not sure, that there is a newer wing too. We wanted the old part.

We went to Doc Martins for dinner, the restaurant attached to the hotel. When the waitress came over I asked about gluten in the New Mexican meals and was dismayed to find that everything New Mexican contains flour. I can eat steak at home; I wanted enchiladas or something local. The waitress spoke to the chef and then reported that the chef would make a special meal, New Mexican, gluten free just for me. So I had a trout fillet with a cream/chili top and corn/small squash/chilies and cheese. We drank an entire bottle of New Mexico champagne with dinner.

This morning after a breakfast of chili stew from another favorite restaurant we went off to the Picuris Pueblo. This pueblo is off of the high road between Taos and Santa Fe, a road we have often wanted to drive. The road was cleared of snow so we were able to drive without a problem.

The Picuris Pueblo is quite different than the Taos Pueblo in that there is not a central plaza with homes on 2 sides. Here there is a church, the 3rd one built there from the 1700’s; I hate to ask the years of the prior 2. The church is not located in the plaza but stands alone then houses are nearby and extend up the hill.

We stopped at the administration building and asked about the store we’d read about. Well the store has been under remodel for several years and remodel has not been completed. We then asked if there was Picuris pottery available nearby, that we’d prefer to buy from the potter if possible. The 2 people in the office discussed who the local potters were and decided we should see Irene Simbula who lives at the top of the short hill. Now Irene doesn’t have a phone so we just had to drive there but she should be home. They drew a detailed map with Grandma’s house and Aunt someone’s house and Irene’s house.

About 5 minutes later we were at what we figured was Irene’s house. We went to the door and asked the woman who answered if she was Irene Simbula and she answered “yes”. We asked if she had pottery available and she said yes and invited us in. She pulled out of bags pots that she had made; after the mud was blessed she washed the mud then made the pots, then during the winter fired the pots in her wood burning stove that we were standing next to. The pots can be used to cook beans in; she brought in her own pot from off the stove, about 60 years old. Apparently, her daughter also makes beautiful pots that we fell in love with.

We were only going to purchase one pot and even though we loved the one by her daughter we wanted the one made by Irene. Then I felt very strongly that we should buy both. I told Dale that we had to get both pots, and then told Irene. After we paid for the pots she told me how she had just been divorced, husband had run off with someone else, business has been slow, she had recent dental problems and had been worried about how to pay for her car insurance. Now she was going to be ok.

On our way back to Taos I had a huge scare. We’d decided to drive the road thru the Rio Grande. We did but then had to go back to the high road due to snow. Once on the high road I wanted to stop to shoot photos. We crossed the busy highway and I shot photos from the shoulder. After finishing up we thought we run back across as there was a never ending stream of cars. As I got into the middle of the lane I tripped and fell, my camera banging on the asphalt. I was so scarred, as I’d noticed a car coming around the corner, certain that I was about to be hit I got up, trying to run. Fortunately my husband was right there and stopped me as the car had stopped in that lane. So hands scrapped, knee thumped and camera banged up we made it back to Taos. Camera was a big concern but with the heavy body it survived, lens didn’t even seem to take a hit at all.

I consoled myself at a little restaurant that only serves gluten free New Mexican food eating chili rellenos as a snack before dinner.