Actually it is me who is going out West. On Wednesday. The Matriarch and I (in my favourite role as the Handmaiden) are flying out to California to attend her eldest son’s wedding and then I am sloping off to visit my son and his family. Would you like to come along? Oh? Really?! Cool. There are some lovely images I want to collect for you on the travels. Plus visiting my Third Son and his lovely wife will be all about the food and the garden. I am FedExing lamb overnight to their place, with honey and lavender jelly. So we will be cooking Mama food every day. And I will have a team there so we can blog much more efficiently.
As you know I prefer not to eat processed foods and travel is always a whole day – we have a two hour bus ride to the airport in Chicago, then a 4 hour wait for the plane, then we fly to Denver then on to Sacramento. After all that bananas get kind of boring. So you and I can research the airport food and Celi Diet options. (I tried on The Dress – a Vintage crochet silk, hope I don’t pull a thread!!- and it is still just a teensy bit snug).
I actually love airports and planes and travel. I love the anonymity of the crowds. The bustle fades off into white noise and I do some of my best work in the cafes, restaurants (and OK – bars!) in those dark corners of airports. The Matriarch is a great reader and can sit for hours with a book so we are perfect travel companions. So Wednesday if all goes well I will be writing to you from the airport.
Secondly I am still writing The Big Work and I think it is important that I do keep adding to it every day, so I am working on ways to write on the move. Taking the lap top is only one part of it. I have to take my scene by scene worksheets and my notes. So much for travelling light. But taking the laptop means I can take you on my travels. We will see about the packing tomorrow.
The third thing, and probably the first thing you thought of, is leaving the animals. This takes some organisation. I am not irreplaceable and John will take over. So I am busy making sure that everything is at hand for him, and especially that Daisy is very secure. I have separated the calves from Hairy M’Clairy so he cannot bully them and steal their food. I have organised it so that they all drink from one big central tank placed in a shared corner of the fields and the barn, which will be easier for John to fill with the new hose. All their entrances and exits are logical and secure. I have been feeding them on John’s time scale for a while now, so they are used to a very early feed and a very late one. The birds are all free range with an emphasis on free, so they are easy. TonTon and Big Dog get a dog-walker. She will come every lunch time to take them for a big walk. As long as she carries his frisbee TonTon will follow her anywhere. Who knows what Big Dog will do. John will do the morning and evening walks after feeding out. Hope he can keep up.
So there you are. You are in the loop! TonTon knows something is afoot..
c
The Kitchen's Garden 
113 responses to “Go West Young Man”
I hope you have a good trip 😉
I will Mad, I love to travel, you won’t get time to miss me though as i will write as i go along!!.. c
So glad to hear that you’ll have a chance to visit your Son & Wife! You must be thrilled. And I’m positive you’ve left nothing to chance and have everything laid out for John while you’re gone. It’s not in your nature to do otherwise. 🙂 Have a safe trip, a wonderful visit, and come home refreshed and with more material, both for the blog and your book.
Thank you John. if everything goes according to plan we will be making Big Mama dinners and I will post a few of them too.. c
Godspeed, and we are happy to come along (through your pics) 🙂 I can’t wait to hear the ‘Celi Diet While Traveling’ too!
Thanks Katerina, it is so hard to eat healthily while travelling, so i will certainly spend some time on that! c
Love the colors in the pictures and Lavender jelly? You are soooooooooo killing me with all of that good food! Have a safe and fun trip and remember unless you have a different way to connect to the internet…most airports charge you for WiFi.
I know, some are good and some not so good, hopefully Midway does not charge as we will be there for quite a while.. I will stay in touch though! c
Dogs always know what packing means…. And so there is a dress to be fitted into… ah ha! Have a wonderful super time and enjoy every minute of it and we’ll be here when you get back too 🙂
TonTon is still in the bedroom wrapped in his blanket trying to stare down the suitcase Joanna.. he is the hardest to leave! i am taking some sourdough starter with me too so that we can bake bread in Cali!! i will let you know how that goes! c
Sweet photo of TonTon – yes, they always do know when we’re going away. I rescued a little dog a couple of months ago, and she is fastened to my side whenever possible. She will respond to my husband’s gentle hand, but as it was likely men who did her in to begin with, she prefers women. I’ve not yet taken off for more than a day since we’ve gotten her, so it remains to be seen how she would do.
Meanwhile, have a great week, and enjoy your time away!
Thanks Bela, I will have a great time. I love to travel.. I am a bit of a gypsy at heart! .. c
Oh! I’m so excited about that trip 😉
I’m sure is going to be so much fun.
Bon voyage mon ami!
PS.: don’t forget to post a photo of The Dress
That is the trouble with weddings Giovanna, too many photographers!! so maybe we can get a shot.. c
It will be sunny and slightly cool here in Denver on Wednesday. Wish you could stop to say hi! Have a lovely trip.
Thank you for the weather update .. The Matriarch is terrified of being buried in snow and missing the wedding. I could not help myself and told her to bring an extra book just in case!! c
Oh yippee yay, we are going on a trip – can’t wait to see all of the wedding photos and I bet you look like a million bucks in your beautiful vintage crochet silk dress.
Sounds like Your John will do just fine whilst we are away.
🙂 Mandy
It is a gorgeous old dress and as long as I stand very straight and keep my belly tucked in I will be fine.. I shall have to survive on champagne .. there is no eating in this dress, Mandy!!! but i love it so! c
Have a safe and fun trip. I can’t wait to hear the stories along the way. Oh, tell me how are you going to get sour dough starter through security. Yes officer, I know it is bubbling but it is really not a bomb…just for baking homemade bread.
oh that would be so funny!! i am checking in a bag that i am taking mostly empty as I intend to fill it with lemons over there and bring them back here to make limoncello, so i will pop it into that bag and hope for the best! You are so funny karen, bet you know all the tricks with all your travelling..celi
Have a good trip. I hope you will post a picture of the vintage dress it sounds lovely.
I will, it is quite gorgeous. It has to be the perfect shot though as you know! c
I Skype’d my eldest son, his wife, and my two grandchildren last night. They live in Hawaii, so they’re literally on the other side of the world from me. It was a delight to see them all but it breaks ones heart when you have to say goodbye. They say the world is a smaller place because we travel here and there at a drop of a coin, but I tell you what, if the world is a smaller place then why do they feel so far away. I hope you enjoy every second with your son and his wife, and that you create long-lasting, wonderful memories of your trip.
I know exactly what you mean Ms Misk. I have kids in Canada, London and NZ, and am not in possession of a fortune so the world really is not that small! We will have a great time in california, like me, my son loves to cook and garden so we are busy all the time. I am hoping to be able to share some with the food with you all.. c
Love the photos. they’re beautiful…Enjoy the trip!
Thank you and i shall enjoy myself , no worries there!! c
Have a safe trip and enjoyable stay.
And say “hi” to my west coast friends. 🙂
I shall wave to them as I whizz past, now Back to Work my friend Klaus! How many words are you up to? I will pop over and see if your blog can get me up to date! c
Thank you! You’re right. There’s still time for a few more words today.
I’ve also just performed my NaNo Writing Buddy duty and sent a few words of encouragement to those who are currently below that word count average line.
I am very excited for you.. rock on my friend!
Surely nuts can get you to California! And I want to see The Dress too.