Hi Shenanigan Enthusiasts!

 

All the usual SHENANIGANS took place here this week! One day it was snowing the next we were soaking up the sun. The pigs are over the snow! They, like me, are ready for lazy days soaking up the rays. Everyone else is happy to be out in the fresh mountain air no matter what the temps are. It's a muddy mucky mess of melting snow, dirt, straw and sh*t right now. Thankful for muck boots and brighter days ahead!

Our friend Mackalyn has a new roppin' dummy she busted out one night. We had some good belly laughs watching her TRY to teach our left-handed boys how to rope a steer. Truly living up to our BEST LIFE motto LAUGH 'TIL YOU SNORT. Rowdy and the rest of the gang stared at them with the cutest curiosity from behind the barn. Silly Boys! They were trying to rope each other unsuccessfully but Kay showed them how it was done when she roped them both up! LIVING A GOOD STORY FOR SURE! 

Memory Lane......

I found myself walking down memory lane all week. Every morning when I go down to let the funny farm crew out of the barn and feed them, I slip on my cover-alls, put on my muck boots and turn on my favorite tunes before slipping my phone in my pocket to sing along while I go about my chores. The funny farm is the most forgiving audience for my not so stellar singing talents!!! Usually, my playlist of choice is a shuffle of my liked songs, 80's country, or some station with old school artists I love. This week it was all The Judds. I grew up loving them. Still do. I can still remember both, listening to them on a cassette tape with my walkman (taking it way back), and singing at the top of my lungs with my mom, sister, and occasionally my aunt, while cruising around in my mom's 1980 something Ford Escort. Oh, the stories that go through my mind when I listen to their tunes.

 

Why Not Me- A two steppin', toe tapper about loving someone who doesn't love you back. My sister and I sang along to this one with our mom as we watched her heartbreak going through her divorce with our dad. Years later when my own marriage was struggling, I reflected on her pain and could feel it in a whole new way. Life is hard, love is hard, sometimes a song says it all, WHY NOT ME. 

Why not me on a rainy day?
Why not me to love your cares away?
Why not me?
Why not me when the nights get cold?
Why not me when you're growin' old?
Why not me?

 

Girls Night Out - A swingin', toe tappin' favorite! Sometimes when life and love are hard a girls night out is exactly what we need to let it all go and smile. My Aunt Lori, who passed away during our Ford Escort singing years,  always made sure to get my mom out for a little fun when she was broken during that time. Every girl needs some good girl friends to let loose with once in a while. I am grateful for my TRIBE of girls! 

I'm gonna dance every dance
'Til the boys go home
Well, it's my night to rock
No watchin' that ol' clock
Oh, ain't no doubt
Lordy it's a girl's night out

 

Mama He's Crazy - the perfect porch swinging tune and apparently sh*t shoveling song too. I will never forget telling my mom about the boy I met. The boy I have been lucky enough to watch grow into the man I get to do this crazy, tragic, sometimes almost magic, awful, beautiful life with today. I remember sharing how easy it was to just be me with him. He definitely made me feel like he was crazy about me. We have grown together, grown apart, broke each other's hearts, found our way through the hard times and are better for where we have been. It hasn't always been easy but it sure has been worth it. Mama he's crazy over me. 

Mama, he's crazy
Crazy over me
And in my life is where he says
He always wants to be
I've never been so in love
He beats all I've ever seen
Mama, he's crazy
He's crazy over me

 

Young Love (Strong Love)- One of the many theme songs in the soundtrack of my life. Jeff and I met when we were 15 and 16 years old. He worked for a friend of my dad's in a little local market. When I would come in with my tall, strong, hard ass dad, Jeff would hide in the refrigeration area because he was always in shorts and when he wore the apron it looked like he had a dress on so he didn't want me to see him. That year he changed high schools and began attending mine. GO BEARS! We were both so shy we may still never have talked but our friends basically forced the issue. Even then, we said only a few words. I eventually left on note on the windshield of his truck with my number and the rest is history. 28 years later here we are all grown up, with boys the age we were back then, chasing our dreams together, funny farm and all!

Young love, STRONG LOVE, true love
It's a new love
They're gonna make it through the hard times
Walk those lines
Yeah, these ties will bind
Young love

 

 Grandpa - Tell me about the Good Old Days...Love this one. Sometimes it seems like this world has gone crazy...YEP! This one rang especially true observing the madness in our world during the last few years. It reminds me of the kind of person I want to be and a world where the simple things are what matter most. A world where promise is a promise. 

Grandpa, take me back to yesterday

When the line between right and wrong
Didn't seem so hazy

 

 

Seasons of Life...

My heart broke to learn of the passing of an icon, Naomi Judd last week. She and Wynonna have inspired, me through all the seasons of my life. I am grateful for their music and their gift for being real and sharing their imperfections. I have seen my own crazy, and my family's crazy in their crazy. I have laughed, cried and loved through their music. We all have blessings and lessons on this journey of life. I hope to be better for where I have been, learning and growing from my mistakes (lessons), pay it forward by helping others when I can and strive to live my best life (blessings). Walking down memory lane this week listening to their songs and then sharing my heart writing this has been a flood of emotions. My heart ached reflecting on some of the seasons but as I wrap it up I feel so much gratitude and joy for where I am today. Sending my love and strength to those who are in a hard season. 

 

Until we connect again, may you laugh 'til you snort, take the bull by the horns (GRIT), give yourself and others some GRACE, live a good story, always look for the MAGIC to CELEBRATE!

 

Much Gratitude, 

Zanna

SHENENIGAN ENTHUSIAST

 

p.s. Help share the LOVE & SHENANIGANS...Every time you share a post from Love & Shenanigans on social media you will be entered to win a goodie from the store! We will do a drawing each Sunday! Share away, tag us and check to see if you are the lucky winner! xoxo

Congratulations to last week's winner, Molly Russo!