Sunday, December 8, 2019

THE SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS - PART THREE - A CHRISTMAS COTTAGE TOUR - 2019












Today will take us on a sleigh ride. 
 No, 
there isn't any snow where I am but
 the mind is a powerful thing and,
 if you believe,
 it can be so.






As in years before,
 Santa is taking center stage 
in the sitting room. 
 There are so many Christmas songs 
that tell us about 
the jolly old gentleman,
 but I wanted to take it
 a little further and,
 in this age of technology, 
focus on Santa's 
favorite mode of transportation.


"Just hear those sleigh bells jingling
Ring-ting-tingling too
Come on, it's lovely weather
For a sleigh ride together with you"


"Sleigh Ride"

Although 
not originally written for Christmas, 
Leroy Anderson, the composer, 
had the idea for the piece 
during a heatwave in July, 1946, and
 finished the work in February, 1948.
  He composed it as an instrumental
 but the lyrics 
in which someone asks another
 to ride in a sleigh 
were written by 
Mitchell Parish in 1950.





Now, right here, 
is living proof 
that Santa can drive a car but
 he much prefers the sleigh. 
 There is plenty of room 
for his bag of toys and
 the reindeer like the fact
 that they can
 fly through the sky...





...or 
even through a bouquet of flowers.
  Remember 
anything is possible 
if you believe.





"Dashing through the snow
In a one-horse open sleigh
O'er the fields they go
Laughing all the way.  Ho,ho,ho

Sometimes Santa
 hitches up his faithful steed,
 especially when 
the little lady is around. 
 She feels he is much safer 
with his Santa boots on the ground.
  Mrs. Claus 
insisted she join hubby 
on his rounds this year,
 bringing along a few gingerbread men.
 It is her belief 
that a hard working man
 is always in need of 
a sweet pick-me-up.





Santa and Mrs. Claus 
are the creations of 
April 
of Cold Creek Primitives, 
her Etsy shop,
 and I absolutely love
 her imagination.





"Sleigh Bells ring
 are you listening
In the lane 
snow is glistening
A beautiful sight,
 we're happy tonight
Walkin' in a winter wonderland"


"Winter Wonderland"


This song was 
originally recorded in 1934. 
 Due to its seasonal theme 
it is often regarded as 
a Christmas song in the Northern hemisphere.
  Smith, a native of Honesdale, PA 
was inspired by seeing 
Honesdale Central Park covered in snow.
  He wrote the lyrics 
while being treated 
for tuberculosis.


One day 
as I was in the parking lot of Michael's,
 I spied this branch 
laying on the ground.  
I knew exactly 
what I would do with it.
  The Captain 
was waiting in the car for me and 
when I came back with my treasure
 he just rolled his eyes and asked
 why I was dragging more trash home.  
But even he has to admit,
 it is the perfect prop for 
the makings of a 
winter wonderland.





I never did find 
the star for the top of
 the vintage ceramic tree
 so I substituted 
the blue moon to the top and 
added Tweetie Bird 
swinging from a branch. 
 Both are a symbol of 
sweet memories of 
Jake as a baby.
















I aspire to greatness and 
I have added a few more 
of those cheap, but cheery, pillows
 to help get me there.





A gathering of tree angels 
who just received their wings, 
surround Santa 
as he makes out his list for
 good little boys, girls,
 and doggies.








The little shelves
 of the chimney cupboard 
are just the right size to display 
a collection of the "Sarah, Plain and Tall"
  houses and some bottle brush trees. 
 They are replicas of
 the houses pictured on the
 Hallmark Hall of Fame, 1994.













Even though, 
my go-to Christmas colors of
 pinks in the guest room and 
blues in the parlor,
 I am definitely 
a tried and true 
red and green Christmas fan. 
 Many years ago, 
I decided that I was going to go
 all glam and 
used all golds and greens.  
That was the most 
miserable Christmas of my life 
as far as decorating went. 
 It was a big mistake for me and
 I couldn't wait for Christmas
 to be over so I could take it all down. 
 I really love and admire 
other's abilities to go "rogue" 
but it isn't for me.





"Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh"


"Jingle Bells"


Written by James Lord Pierpont in 1850.
  Inspired by the 
one-horse open sleigh races
 run on Salem and Pleasant streets 
in Medford, MA.
  He wrote it 
in a boardinghouse that had 
the only piano in town.







I hope you enjoyed 
your sleigh ride today and 
will want to come back again 
for Part Four, 
the dining room 
at Christmas time.



...Judy...





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20 comments:

  1. Your sitting room looks so charming and cozy in these pictures I can almost feel the warmth of the fire and I definitely can experience the delights of Christmas. It is all so wonderfully done. Thank you!

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    1. Thanks so much, Adrienne. I love doing it all but I need to cut my time down. I almost didn't finish in time this year..Have a very Merry Christmas..xxoJudy

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  2. I love all your decorations. Looks so festive and inviting.
    I have enjoyed the sleigh ride. Thelma.

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    1. Thank you, Thelma, for going on the sleigh ride with me. I appreciate everyone's kind words immensely. Have a wonderful Christmas time..xxoJudy

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    1. Thanks so much, Maristella. I have fun doing it all and appreciate your kind words so much. Have a wonderful Christmas..xxoJudy

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  4. I love how you have decorated your home for Christmas. It is really lovely AND that branch you picked up makes the perfect 'tree'. Your home is warm and inviting and I do believe that anything can happen IF you believe. xo Diana

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    1. Thanks so much, Diana. I did believe that I would get done in time for the big day and it worked! Barely! It is a fun time of year and I enjoy it all..Have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year with your family, my friend..xxoJudy

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  5. Replies
    1. Thank you so much, so do I..Merry Christmas and Happy New Year..xxoJudy

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  6. Looks so charming and so warm with your stove going and all your beautiful primitive decor pieces. I love your Mrs. Claus and Santa from Cold Creek Primitives. I think if we all believe in the goodness and love in the world anything can happen. Love seeing all your beautiful and cozy Christmas decor.
    Happy New Week.
    Hugs,
    Kris

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    1. Thank you, Kris. I just have to smile so big when I look at them. Some have looked at Santa and see him twearking, but I know just how his back feels lugging around that heavy sack of toys..Have a wonderful Christmas with the family my sweet friend..xxoJudy

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  7. It's beautiful, Judy. Warm and cozy and so very happy and perfect with the Victorian and vintage style of your home. Isn't Christmas fun?

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    1. Thanks, Jeanie. I do believe that Christmas is very fun and I am on my way over back to you to get that sugar cookie recipe..Have a wonderful Christmas with Rick and the family..xxoJudy

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  8. Judy, it's all so beautiful, but that chair by your charming stove is Christmas coziness personified for me. I love it!! And I love reading about the songs...my two favorite subjects combined, history and music. Fabulous! Merry merry!!

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    1. Thank you, Kim. I had fun picking out the songs for each post. I tried to do a combination of fun and old favorites. I'm like you, that cozy chair is not for reading for me. I sit there and can see 3 rooms of decorations at the same time and just stare..Merry Christmas my friend..xxoJudy

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  9. Hi Judy, I've been absent and remiss in commenting on your blog. This one is just awesome! You have really gone all out for Christmas this year, although I think you do every year! I love Santa and his sleighs.. and your songs and history of each one. I love the old traditional Christmas songs. Love the "tree angels" and also the twig tree. I found some branches like that when I was in Astoria, and lugged them home, as wanted to put them in a red can and put little lights on them. Well.. they are still sitting in the garage! I've spent all last week out of town going to my "old" chiropractor for my upper back as I must have pinched a nerve or something as lots of pain the last month or so... so now I'm behind and not really in the mood to do any Christmas decorating. Our tree isn't even up! No company coming so I may only get the tree up with the lights, and nothing else. Oh I'm such a bah humbug this year, although got all my cards mailed and lots of gifts wrapped.. so I feel "done" now. Your cottage is such a wonderful place to be right now.. and I would want to leave it all up for at least the entire month of January! Also... I loved the movies Sarah Plain and Tall, think there were two or three, and makes me want to go back and watch them again! The newer Hallmark Movies of this day and age, sure aren't like the older ones that I loved so much. Take care.. and will go on and read your next post! xoxoo Marilyn

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    1. Thank you so much, Marilyn. I had fun this year and probably did overdo it a little, but what else is new?! I am so glad that our kids are able to come up to us this year so it is all worth it..I agree about the older Hallmark movies but I have to say that I am enjoying all the Christmas ones they are showing now..Have a wonderful Christmas, friend, and will talk to you in the New Year..xxoJudy

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  10. It's so cute, Judy. I love, love all your vintage touches.

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  11. Thanks so much, Katie. I have a lot of vintage toys and enjoy sprinkling them around..Have a wonderful Christmas with family and friends..xxoJudy

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Your comments are so special to me...Judy