• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Amish 365
  • About
  • Amish Recipes
  • Amish Culture
  • Amish Marketplace
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Amish Recipes
  • Amish Culture
  • About
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Amish Recipes
    • Amish Culture
    • About
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Everything Amish » Plain Culture

    Sandy, The Meijer Pony

    Published: Feb 10, 2017 · Updated: Feb 10, 2017 by Kevin Williams | 2 Comments

    Aster riding Sandy the Meijer horse....er, pony..can't find many other places to use a penny!

    By Kevin Williams

    In my e-newsletter the other day I wrote about Aster's joy at riding a penny pony at a local grocery store.  The grocery store is called Meijer, pronounced MY-ER.    People in my corner of Ohio find all sorts of ways to butcher the name.  Some people just say MAR.   While others say MAJOR.   And I've heard a time or two: MEE-JER.   I remember one exchange with an uncle years ago:  "We're going to MAR today?"    "You are going tomorrow today?"
    I asked, genuinely not understanding.  "To Mar, To Mar."    "Not today, tomorrow?" I asked.  Finally, I figured out he was trying to say that he was going to MY-ER today.

    Anyway, Meijer is a midwestern United States grocery chain with sprawling stores that have everything from cookies to motor oil to socks under one roof.  It really is a fine store,, with their corporate headquarters being in Grand Rapids, Michigan (I visited their headquarters, but that is a post for another day and time).   But what pulls me in there more often these days is a little mechanical pony that costs a penny for kids to ride.  Gives them about 2 minutes of back and forth fun.  Compare that to an outdoor outlet mall near me that charges 50 cents for basically the same type of ride.

    I always just thought this was some little mechanical pony unique to my store, I didn't realize until yesterday that Aster and I were cavorting with a legend.   Turns out this pony has a name: Sandy.  And it's been around for a long, long, long time.  I realized I may have stumbled on something within minutes after sending out the email yesterday.  Mary from Battle Creek emailed me simply: "The penny horse has a name and her name is Sandy."

    Meanwhile, another reader sent me a note: "I got to ride that pony at Meijers when I was a kid. One time (48 years ago), the pony did not stop.  I rode for 20 minutes - until the store manager pulled the plug."

    VIDEO DOCUMENTARY OF SANDY THE PONY

    Sandy even has a Facebook page, although whoever started it got it wrong, Sandy is a pony.  Sheesh, even Aster corrected me on that the other day before she rode it. I called it a horse and Aster said "It's a pony, dada."

    Pony, horse, it's a penny well-spent!

    « Amish Amazon: Roadside Market Puzzle, Blueberry Salsa, Schlabach's Granola, and More!
    Mom & Pop Butcher Shops and Amish Chicken Tenders »

    About Kevin Williams

    Hi, my name is Kevin Williams and I am owner of Oasis Newsfeatures and editor of The Amish Cook newspaper column.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. hmchelen

      February 11, 2017 at 11:59 am

      We have a Meijer's store we shop at. If there's a child riding the pony we give the parents our extra pennies so child can ride longer.

      Reply
      • Kevin

        February 11, 2017 at 12:01 pm

        Very sweet of you Helen, I'm sure you've made many children's day!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Kevin Williams - The Amish Editor Amish Cook Column

    Hi There, I'm Kevin!

    Welcome to Amish365, where I share my knowledge of Amish cooking and culture! I’ve spent almost three decades exploring Amish settlements and kitchens from Maine to Montana and almost everywhere in between. I’ll occasionally throw in stories of my travels, journalism adventures (I’m a Pulitzer prize-nominated journalist), fascination with grocery stores and Kmarts, and much more!

    More about me →

    Latest Amish Recipes

    • Delicious Amish Ham Meatballs
      Delicious Amish Ham Meatballs
    • Why Do The Amish Worship At Home?
    • Finished Ham Loaf
      Amish Ham Loaf
    • What is Shunning? And Do the Amish Still Shun?
    dutchcrafters

    Download The "Almost Amish" Ebook

    Footer

    Footer

    About

    • About The Amish Editor
    • Download "Almost Amish" Ebook
    • Amish Communities
    • Amish Marketplace

    Contact

    • Work With Us
    • Contact

    *As a member of various affiliate programs I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2000 - 2020 Amish 365 | Powered by Touch The Road