Sheri's Thoughts and This and That

You may have heard the word "influencer" being thrown around on social media.  The word itself makes me cringe.  First of all, do we really need someone to influence us, swaying our thoughts and opinions?  I don't think so.  Truth is, I have never been one to be influenced at all.  Not all the choices I've made were good ones, but on the most part, the decisions I've made were pretty sound, considering my unique story.  I know many people who are influenced by their partner, influenced with politics, with fashion and the clothes they wear, with the homes and areas they live in, with many different things.  There is nothing wrong with getting ideas and inspiration from others - I get that from my blog friends every day.  But in the end, the final outcome is my decision.  And I so wish that people would trust their own instincts rather than relying on someone else's version.  Sometimes I have gone into shops, and the clerks would say to me, "can I help you?"  I politely reply, "I'll know it when I see it."  They say, "you look like a girl who's on a mission."  And they're right....because I always know what I want even before I enter their establishment.  So, as you can see, I don't need an "influencer" to tell me what's best for me.  We know what's best for us.  And I do think that many times God has guided me.  I trust and follow Him, not the "influencer."  

I went to visit my friend, A, at the Home Shop.  She had a couple surgeries, so her shop was closed for a while, but she's back and healing, and it was good to see her again.  I used to like traditional Christmas decorations and ornaments when my kids were little, but now that I'm older, the whimsical ones appeal to me.  I bought this one in her shop.

The leaves are still hanging on, and Autumn looks prettier than ever here.

We had a great wind with rain on Wednesday night, and branches were blowing everywhere and crashing into the house.  The wind was howling loudly, and it was kind of scary and woke me up.  My neighbors heard it too.

I make a squash bake from time to time, and it's such a simple recipe with green squash, onions, ground beef, garlic salt and pepper, a little milk to keep it moist, sprinkled with cheese and bake.

The 100-year old pioneer wagon decorated for Fall.  

My favorite Panettone Bread is in!  It had more candied fruit and raisins, and it was really the best sweet bread I've had so far.

You know how much I love the decorative boxes.  When I saw this one, I couldn't resist bringing it home.  I have a thing for Santa's boots.  ; )

The house is already decked out for Christmas.  I will get to enjoy it for a couple months.  It took me two hours one day cleaning and placing things where I want them.  I will share a few pics later of it all.  I didn't feel like cooking after so I ordered Chinese take out - their szechuan chicken is delicious.

When I was a little girl, I used to have a dachshund named Cinnamon.  Out of all the dogs I've had through the years, this one was my favorite.  She used to sit with me while I rested by the fireplace, and was the most good natured dog.  So, you can imagine how surprised I was when I saw this Christmas cup with a dachshund on it.

Although I favor the whimsical decorations, I still have a few traditional ones that I will always keep.  This is one of them.  Jess gave it to me many years ago, and I've always loved it.

And my calendar page for November with the word, Change.  Honestly, I've never really liked change unless it was of the good kind.  But sometimes good things surface when we have unpleasant change.  This reminds me of Mia, Francesca, and Charlotte, who I'll see soon.