8 days in Spain-can we do Madrid, Seville and Granada?

I'll assume that you leave the US on Nov 1, arriving in Madrid on Nov 2, and fly back to the US on Nov 9?

It is a bit tight, but doable.
In that case, I would:

• aim straight to Seville (by train) on Nov 2 and spend Nov 3-4 in Seville.
• travel to Granada in the afternoon of Nov 5, spend Nov 6 there. Book those Alhambra tickets!
• then travel to Madrid in the morning of Nov 7 (or afternoon if you'd rather spend more time in Granada), spend Nov 8 there, and fly out on the 9th

Thanks! We could add an another day. And we don’t need to do both Seville and Granada. We could pick one and do another small town. She’s never been to Spain so anything will be nice and new to her. Any other ideas?

Better if you add another day!
Spend it either in Seville (it could give you time for a Córdoba day trip, or just more time on Seville) or in Madrid, depending on your interest in Madrid's excellent museums.

November is a very good time of the year for Andalucía.

You could make Cordoba your base and see both Sevilla and Granada by train on day trips. That is where my base will be on an upcoming trip, except my day trips will be 2 small towns by car. I’m trying to relax more on my trips to EU. I have the same drive as I did in my 20’s, but unfortunately not the same energy.

With a 78 year old mother, I would NOT use Córdoba as a base and take day trips to Granada and Sevilla. Balso’s suggestion is sound.

She’s a very spry 78 year old. But does Cordoba as base sound too taxing?

The problem with Córdoba as a base is that there is too much to see and do in Seville to fit in one day trip. You would need two day trips. Whereas Córdoba is very manageable as a day trip - the only unmissable indoor sight is the Mezquita-Catedral, perhaps the Archeological museum if you like those too, but otherwise it is mostly a place to wander in the lovely historical center.
And Córdoba to Granada takes longer than you think, so it does not leave you with much time to see anything besides the Alhambra.

Thank you so much! We will stick to your original itinerary.