Showing up unannounced

[Flight]

This thread has made me laugh (with you) so much. In Wales, it is absolutely the norm to just ‘pop in’. Doors are often unlocked and there is always a pot of tea on the hearth. If there is a knock at the door, then a stranger is calling.

Sounds like a lovely way to live life.

 

[Pooh2]

I have a few neighbors who pop over unannounced and always enjoy their company.
I usually have some cookie dough prepared in the freezer and can have a batch of cookies on the table pretty quickly.
Last weekend, a neighbor stopped by as I was about to make applesauce. I handed her an apple peeler (had to show her how to operate it) and we had over an hour of peeling and chatting. Very nice afternoon!

 

[Moliphino]

My parents can come and go whenever, but anyone else better text first. I may not be home, I may not have showered, etc.

 

[kymom99]

I have several good friends who say: "You can always come over, no need to call."
But I can't, I feel terrible to show up unannounced, as I know how much I hate it myself. My home is my sanctuary, I decide who gets in and when.
If you do show up unannounced, I will let you in out of courtesy, but I do not like you at that moment.

That's when you grab your purse and act like you were just getting ready to leave.

 

[Flight]

I have a few neighbors who pop over unannounced and always enjoy their company.
I usually have some cookie dough prepared in the freezer and can have a batch of cookies on the table pretty quickly.
Last weekend, a neighbor stopped by as I was about to make applesauce. I handed her an apple peeler (had to show her how to operate it) and we had over an hour of peeling and chatting. Very nice afternoon!

Exactly!

 

[kymom99]

I show up at my sister's whenever. We share some farm property and she lives on it so we have always driven up to her house to use the restroom, etc or to just say hello. She tells us to come swim whenever we want but I always text first for that. She always texts before coming to my house, but the main reason she might stop by is to drop something off, so she wants to be sure we are home. I don't care if family stops over but they usually text first just so they don't waste their time. I would never have felt I needed to be invited to my parents house. That's just weird to imagine. They didn't come to our house often but they usually called, again just to make sure we were home.

I expect friends to call or text. Neighbors sometimes ring the bell and that's fine.

 

[disykat]

With many schools now having student participate from home, you might also show up when their children are busy with some online classes.

I assumed we were talking about during normal times. Right now, no drop ins would be coming inside! I can't even imagine someone showing up for a visit during a pandemic and expecting to just be invited in.

 

[_19disnA]

^^ Actually some of both. There still seem to be people who don't take covid seriously, think it is no big deal, etc. and someone needs to be prepared to tell them they are not welcome at their home at this time if they show up unexpectedly.

 

[mumto3girls]

I would like to be the kind of person who loves unannounced visitors, but I am actually one who despises it, with rare exceptions. DH’s parents were of the mind that family was always welcome and didn’t need to knock, let alone call. They also were judgmental about breastfeeding and didn’t want to be around it. So imagine a late Saturday morning. DH has been outside doing yard work and has just come in to get a drink and sits down to talk to me for a minute while I am on the couch nursing a baby with nothing on except a short nightgown which isn’t covering much. And his parents walk in through the garage into the kitchen without announcing themselves in any way. I had to make a mad dash to the bedroom to get presentable with an unhappy baby. Still irritates and it’s been over 15 years and they have both passed away.
I almost always have a list of tasks to complete on any given day and a plan to accomplish that list so drop-ins are almost always an interruption. And I often wear things at home I wouldn’t wear in public so that adds to the uncomfortableness.

 

[unrequited23]

Growing up, my grandparents lived 8 streets away and had a habit of popping in when ever they felt like it. Every so often my mom wasn't in the mood to see them and we'd hid in the bathroom until they left. If we didn't answer the side door, they would try to open the front door, peer in the porch windows and go around to look in the back door too.

 

[lisaviolet]

This thread has made me laugh (with you) so much. In Wales, it is absolutely the norm to just ‘pop in’. Doors are often unlocked and there is always a pot of tea on the hearth. If there is a knock at the door, then a stranger is calling.

This post made me smile.

Not Wales but Ireland -

My uncle just recently explained why my grandparents had a piano, but didn't really play.

He told me that my grandfather bought it for one reason. So that people would simply pop over and stay a bit, and have some fun. Play the piano, have a bit of a spontaneous party with friends. He was born and raised in Ireland and people coming on over was just part of life. I am guessing that the new country didn't quite have the same vibe.

 

[Tinkerbell58]

Several years ago, we invited my BIL and his daughter for Thanksgiving dinner. Imagine our surprise when the BIL arrives shows up with his daughter...and her uninvited boyfriend...and a few more of her uninvited friends for dinner. We were given no notice or asked if it was okay to bring these extra people. I was not happy.

 

[mommasita]

This thread has made me laugh (with you) so much. In Wales, it is absolutely the norm to just ‘pop in’. Doors are often unlocked and there is always a pot of tea on the hearth. If there is a knock at the door, then a stranger is calling.

This post made me smile so much, and reminded me of my late Mum. She ALWAYS had a pot of tea made ❤, replenished often throughout the day. Her Church lady friends would often just pop in, it was the happiest of times. My teenage friends also, it seemed the “place” to pop in I guess. Everyone sat around the kitchen table, my Mum was that Mum that they all could come to with whatever, whenever.

Good old Mum.

 

[lisaviolet]

This post made me smile so much, and reminded me of my late Mum. She ALWAYS had a pot of tea made ❤, replenished often throughout the day. Her Church lady friends would often just pop in, it was the happiest of times. My teenage friends also, it seemed the “place” to pop in I guess. Everyone sat around the kitchen table, my Mum was that Mum that they all could come to with whatever, whenever.

Good old ☘ Mum.

and

Not long after my mother passed I went to Vancouver to escape. And it was just a normal day, not bad - not good, but I wasn't falling apart.
I was watching the Academy Awards, minding my own business and Gary Oldman won and was giving a great acceptance speech. I remember listening intently and even smiling.

And then he closed with "Mom I will be home soon. Put the kettle on." And everything just stopped.

I literally started spinning. And all I could hear was put the kettle on. It was such a visceral reaction to that exact phrase, so many memories tied to a kettle!

The traditions of our mothers are so quietly and tightly held.

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Quite frankly this thread has made me a little sad. I too remember the joy of people just being in the neighbourhood and popping over throughout my childhood. Much fun and many discussions around the kitchen table.

i learned a lot as a child just from eavesdropping.