Some people do a simply magnificent job of decorating their homes for Christmas.
I’m not one of them... or haven’t been of late, but that has all changed, in a very big way.
You see, last weekend, I bought Santa’s actual sleigh, on Kijiji. Yes, THE sleigh he has used throughout time up until now. The Santa rep I spoke with tells me Santa decided to upgrade this year to something a little more comfortable.
Like all of us, he’s getting older, has a little arthritis, has decided he’d like something a little easier on the old bones. Heated seats, heated reins, that sort of thing.
I just happened to be the crazily lucky person to see the ad first!
When I called my 30-something son Lyle to tell him I’d bought Santa’s actual sleigh, he said he was very happy for me, then confused me somewhat by adding, "Uh Dad, that is a very cool sleigh, but I mean, you do know there’s no real... I mean... that Santa isn’t... you know... he isn’t..."
"Isn’t what son?"
And then, for whatever reason, the phone just went stone dead. Oh well, he’ll call back.
OK. So I didn’t buy this directly from a Santa rep. In truth, I bought this wonderful sleigh, yes, advertised on Kijiji, from the Murta family of Manitoba. I bought it directly from a very nice gentleman by the name of Scott Murta, who included a little of his family’s history with this heirloom:
"The sleigh has been in the family for several years. My grandfather, Watson Scott, owned it since 1946. Some may remember he used to give the neighbourhood kids rides when he lived on Lyndale Drive in the 1960s and ’70s!"
What a heartwarming memory, and great to know this beautiful sleigh has some Winnipeg history as well.
But I know for sure before that, this truly was one of Santa’s actual sleighs. Makes sense that with a trip around the world every year, he’d have more than one in case of a breakdown. For sure.
What do I intend to do with this amazing, very antique, original piece of history, which even has straw as upholstery filler?
Well, it definitely will be a big part of the ramped up Christmas decorating I intend to undertake each year, and I also intend to partner up with someone, and just like Grandpa Watson Scott, take kids and people for rides, maybe even a lovely trip down the Assiniboine River once in a while. How beautiful that would be. I mean, will be.
And for decorative purposes? I have a 1905 Canadian National Railway caboose in my backyard. Yes, a real caboose. And maybe, for the first time ever, I should outline that with Christmas lights, then put my Santa sleigh on the roof of the caboose, cover that with lights as well and even put a reasonable facsimile Santa in the seat!
That would look phenomenal! Can’t tell you how much I love this sleigh.
I have all the Mustard family photo albums here at home, and I’m positive that in one of them, I have a picture of my Grandpa Mustard, whom I never met, sitting in one of these on the farm he homesteaded back in the 1880s. Just sitting in this makes me feel a little closer to him, and I even have his big ol’ pocket watch to have with me while doing so. Perfect.
Now before I sleigh away, a little heads up. There is an insane conspiracy theory out there that Santa is not real. Outrageous! Talk about fake news! I mean, I have one of his actual sleighs, and it’s as real is it gets. Proof positive, right? Wow! The nerve of some people.
Merry Christmas, and the best of the holiday season, to one and all!
Comments or feedback, love to hear from you at lmustard1948@gmail.com.
