I found this too late but thought I would post my version of an easy stuffing/dressing. One year I started making it with grits to save time, and everyone thought I had used cornbread. I've gone back to the cornbread recipe, however, because I like to make cornbread. Anyway, here's the simplified version: Grits Faux Cornbread Stuffing Ingredients: 2 tbsp vegetable oil or grape seed oil 1/4 cup butter 3/4 cup chopped onion 2 cups finely chopped celery 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups chicken broth (or water) 1 tbsp soup base, mushroom, chicken, vegetable, or a combination 1/8 tsp cayenne (or dash of hot sauce) 1/4 tsp dried oregano 1/4 tsp dried basil 1/4 tsp dried thyme 1-2 tsp dried sage (according to your taste) 3/4 cup quick grits (be sure not to use "instant") - can substitute polenta 2 eggs 2 tbsp water 2 cups dry bread, in small cubes Directions: In a large saucepan, heat the vegetable oil and add the butter. When the butter is melted, add the onion, celery, and garlic, and sauté for a few minutes, or until the onions begin to be translucent. The celery must stay crunchy. Add the water (or broth, if you have it), soup base, cayenne, and herbs, and stir to combine. Take the pan off heat, and add the quick grits slowly while stirring. Stir for one minute off heat, and return to low heat. Cover and cook five minutes more (for a total of six minutes), stirring occasionally. Preheat oven to 350ð. Beat the eggs with the 2 tbsp water, and then combine with the bread cubes. Transfer the bread to a 9x13 baking dish, add the cooked grits, and stir to combine. Bake covered for about 10 minutes - longer if the grits have been made ahead and have cooled. If you like it less moist, you can bake it uncovered. Lars This year I didn't have enough cornmeal to make the cornbread (I needed 1-1/2 cups and only had 1/4 cup), and so I substitute 1/4 grits, and it came out fine.

A Bondo type product will work well if the substrate (e.g. the underlying wood) is still in good condition. If your wood is not solid, I'd look into a penetrating epoxy type of solution. Usually there are two components. I liquid type penetrating epoxy that is absorbed by the wood to consolidate and remediate the punky wood. You use this to consolidate the wood fibers and assure the structrual integrity of the piece of wood. The second component is an epoxy filler. This is similar to the bondo type products but epoxy based. Use this to fill the wood to build up to a smooth surface ready for painting. Diane

You're off to a good start!!! Now for what i think you need to do.She needs some eyelashes and whiskers.Also the sleeves seem to be too long and the lace too big /wide for them.Perhaps just have the lace on the collar and the hem.The pinafore and the dress seem to be out of proportion to each other.Maybe also take away the pearls.Actually all her clothes seem to be too big for her body. Hope these critisism don't seem too harsh,but the are meant to help you. I make a lot of these type of dolls/animals etc and have for years.I will be happy to help you out if you have anymore questions. Kathi

Here I am, again. After a procedure to shoot foamy stuff into my enlarged varicose veins a couple of weeks ago, I have had to wear a squeezy stocking all the way to hip for two weeks on the treated leg - finishing yesterday (or today) ... ... and walk for half an hour, twice daily, for those two weeks. I've been fortunate, so far - as I live in the country, and made of salt (or is it sugar?) I wasn't impressed with the idea of walking in the rain ... ... and, fortunately, have been able to avoid it, so far. Today is the last day to do it, and the weather is pleasant. It was rather attractive doing it last night just after midnight, with moon either full or almost so. And son just suggested, this afternoon, that continuing that regimen might not do me any harm. I go back to using the knee-high squeezy sock on that leg, as on the other, as of tomorrow. However ... in a couple of weeks, I get another shot to shrink the veins, with the high-level sock and the two half-hour walks daily, for another two weeks. Then again, in both November and December. I have the feeling that my teeth may chatter for the first couple of minutes of walking, just before Christmas. However ... they tell me that this is the modern alternative to the reportedly painful surgery of stripping those veins, of earlier years ... and I'm thankful to say that the only discomfort that it caused me was the pinprick when they put in the needle. ole joyful ... with, I guess, a couple of walks yet to do, today - not dog-sitting, at present