Sleigh Ride

This picture is a scan of an ornament that my mom gave me my first Christmas as a newlywed. It is still one of my favorite ornaments. (it came from Avon in 1985)

I always think of the song Sleigh Ride whenever I hang this ornament. I prefer my Sleigh Ride sans words and let the music drift over you and carry you away. I also love it performed by a full orchestra. There is just something about the strings that takes me away.

*Karlene did a video on You Tube of Sleigh Ride being played by her favorite artist, Emile Pandolfi. Wonderful video, Karlene. I also love the lilting way he plays this song. You can just hear those sleigh bells ringeln, tinglen' too. You can also see in your mind the horse as he pulls the sleigh down a snow packed lane, see the sun glinting off of the snow banks. Can you hear the sleigh runners sushing as you go hurring along?

I have never really been on a sleigh ride like this. I grew up in Southern New Mexico, not a lot of opportunity there for sleigh rides. Maybe if we had gone over to White Sands we could have pretended. Probably wouldn't have been the same, though.

I have a neighbor here that has two sleighs that he give rides in. At Christmas time he puts up a big Army tent in his front yard, complete with a wood stove and hot cocoa. People come from all over to enjoy the evening and line up for a ride. I have gone on one of those rides around the block. It was cold. Why is it in the movies, it never seems that the people in the sleigh get cold?

The closest I remember to a sleigh ride when I was younger was one winter going somewhere with my grandmother and mom. We took Grandma's yellow Dodge pickup. I can't remember who was with us, my sisters? my brother? my cousin? Anyway, we put down a blanket in the bed of the pickup and then climbed in. It was cold and the sky was very, very low and heavy with black clouds. We even sat with our backs to the cab of the pickup it was so cold. No sitting on the wheel wells or with our feet hanging off of the tail gate this trip. (I am lucky enough to have been a kid when those things weren't "dangerous") And I seem to remember an old blanked wrapped around us. I remember when it started snowing thinking that it was cold and I could hardly wait to get back to Grandma's where it was warm. I also remember being glad that I was not a pioneer, and glad that I was born at a time when there was such a thing as cars and central heat because I was COLD. So sit back and enjoy the song and your warm home.

*I had this song scheduled for today even before Karlene did her video, but I am glad that she posted before me so that I can show her wonderful work. Karlene, have I told you lately that you do great work?