Tuesday, December 22, 2009

our younger daughter has crossed an ocean

to climb this stairway once again.

do you have a 'coming home for the holiday' memory to share?

32 comments:

Malyss said...

To come home yesterday, my oldest son had to travel through a snow storm, a strike, late planes, electricity break and pouring rain...I can tell you that he was VERY happy when he finally reached our door!

Dave-CostaRicaDailyPhoto.com said...

A coming home story that I remember is when I was in college in Washington DC and came home to St. Louis for a semester break that my family and I had not planned for me to come home, but I got a free ride from a friend.

I arrived home about 3:00 a.m. and let myself in the house, planning to sneak into my bedroom and surprise my parents at breakfast. Not a good idea.

My mother heard my footsteps coming down the hall, sent my father out to confront the intruder in the house and started to call the police.

I stepped back out from my bedroom and found myself right behind my father in the hallway. I very softly said "boo." Not a good idea.

My father instinctively leaped back into his study before he realized it was me. My mother reminded him for the next 30 years that when confronting a threat, he saved himself and left the intruder have the rest of the house and her.

I would not have tried such a prank if my parents had owned a gun.

Julie said...

Nice looking wood here, BC. Rich and well nourished.

Cezar and Léia said...

oh sweet Brattcat,
Glad to know this fabulous news!I know you are very happy! :)
Well I need to wait a little bit, just some days to tell you the joy inside my heart to see my son here with us!
I'm so anxious! :)
God bless you
Léia

Kate said...

A lovely bannister to climb!! The best coming home story I have is that on every Christmas, I feel a spark of joy and happiness that my grandkids ignite when they come through the door!

PS. Dave's story is quite amusing!

B SQUARED said...

Nothing that rivals yours. Enjoy the holidays.

Birdman said...

Amazing piece of work! Looks like an artisan's craft in evidence in this beautiful old home. Enjoy time with the daughter. Happyhappy!!!

Tanya Breese said...

How wonderful!! Enjoy your time together and Merry Christmas!!

Leif Hagen said...

That's a handsome, historic stairway! I guess you live in a beautiful, older home! Show us more!

Janet said...

I've never lived far from home, but I do remember the single-digit Christmas back in the 80s when I had to take my cat along for the 50-mile drive, and he got sick in the car. So, I drove over in 25-degree weather with the windows rolled down. Wind chill was something like 8 degrees, and when we arrived, we had to bathe the cat, and my dad had to keep our house pipes, along with neighbors'(who were gone) pipes warm with a blow torch, and we had to feed the mama dog and her puppies next door. They were holed up under the house. There was little time to spend together as a family since everyone was just trying to prevent frozen pipes. When I got home the next day, the pipes in my own house (which at least had central heat) were frozen. Real winter in the South can be brutal!

Jilly said...

What an original way to express your feelings. Very moving. So happy for you.

Giorgio said...

I guess my memorable coming home was 20 years ago when we came back to Italy after 10 years in Canada and then we stayed in Italy since then (holidays included). Since we moved the whole family, it was a coming home only place-wise, not family-wise, but it was a bit overwhelming nevertheless.

Small City Scenes said...

No wonderful coming home memories like several others but years ago my Mother decided we children should start our own family traditions and have the big dinner at our own houses---so we did. Christmas is meaning I never have to travel but my children do. Just to see me. LOL MB

DIGITAL WORLD PAGES ARCHIVE said...

I remember when I was student..The photo is sharp.

DIGITAL WORLD PAGES ARCHIVE said...

I remember when I was student...,The photo is sharp.

Sunny said...

Have a joyful time with your Daughter. Your staircase if magnificent.
When I was a little girl and my Dad was in the RAF, we always went home to my Grandparent's house at Christmas. I have many fond memories of those times.
Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Sunny :)

siu said...

Fine stairway... (my 'coming home for the holiday' memories shouldn't be comprehensible at all, in English).
I wish you to enjoy your time with your family having a Merry Christmas!

lizziviggi said...

What a beautiful staircase to come home to! Our tight-knit family has always been close, so I have no coming-home story... and as this is the first year we celebrate Christmas without my wonderful mom, I fear it won't feel like home at all. On a brighter note, Dave's story made me laugh! Thank you, Brattcat, for sharing your poignant moments with us.

Unknown said...

When I was a boy growing up in small town Oklahoma we often went to "Kitty and ET"s house for Christmas dinner. They were cousins from a previous generation who lived on a farm that had been homesteaded in the late 1880s and remained in the family.

There were horses, cows, chickens, and wild rabbits in the pastures, a paradise to a young boy. They lived in a big two story farmhouse, not a mansion, but warm and filled with the wonderful smells of Christmas dinner.

But the real warmth was exuded by my elderly Cousin Kitty who sincerely loved everybody she ever met and made everyone feel like you had done her a personal favor just by being there. I named my daughter after her and now they are both gone.

Tash said...

I'm with lizziv. - I'd cross the contintent to climb that staircase. It is soooo grand - it goes without saying how pleased you must be to have her home.

A homecoming memory: we lived in Switzerland for 1 1/2 yrs, and returned to LA area 19 yrs ago this Christmas. We left Luzern under the 1st snowfall, watched 'The Sound of Music' on the flight over (I cried my eyes out since we had spent the previous Christmas in Salzburg) and arrived to clear, sunny 70 degree LA with loving parents/in-laws & my little niece & nephew to greet us - it was a joyful Christmas but we unexpectedly experienced culture/weather shock.

Birdman said...

Love Capote! Two memories: sharing his "A Christmas Memory" with my enraptured 'friends'... it's all about fruitcake, and(it's selfish) coming home to P-town after my first semester away at college. I remember looking out the frozen bus windows at a city I hadn't realized how much I had missed.

cieldequimper said...

I wish I could but it may never happen.
Lovely post.

VP said...

Sorry, no... I don't know if I'm glad for this, or not.

Bob Crowe said...

No special memories in that area - our family is like the Flying Walendas. Some or all of us are always in the air at this time of year. But anyway, that's an exceptional piece of woodwork. The light is gorgeous.

Anya said...

I am so Happy for you :-)
My oldest daughter will also come for Xmas
(The whole family together thats Christmas ....)

Merry Chritsmas
and a Happy & Healthy 2010
for you and your family :-)
Enjoy your holidays ....

hugs from
Kareltje =^.^=
Anya :-)

Virginia said...

A lovely photo and I am so glad your dear daughter is home safely with you!
V

Sharon Creech said...

Beautiful stairway, poetic text. . .

Unknown said...

Beautiful staircase. I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas.

Unknown said...

Very nice wooden staircase!
Glad to know you have your daughter with you.

Diederick Wijmans said...

An excellent coming-home photo with a warm feeling comment! Bravo, Brattcat!
It is so nice that all families get together everywhere. The lights, the candles, the wonderful scent of the wood burning in the fire place, the twinkling eyes of everyone trying not to look at the presents under the Christmas tree...Have a wonderful Christmas!!

Julie said...

I mentioned your name to a friend who is Head Librarian at a school I used to work at. She is getting all her copies for me to read. Finally ...

Rob Siemann said...

We went home to my family and to minus 19 C, minus 3 or 4 Farenheit, by metro, plane, bus, train and taxi. Was good!