2-06-10

So, on top of trying to sell artwork on Etsy and in our local library store, I am also trying to publish a book. It's called Year of the Rat and is about one of best beloved pets, Mark, a fat hooded rat with more of a personality than several people put together.

I've had permission from my supervisor at work to construct a hand-made copy of Year of the Rat for our catalogue. Right now, I'm building a book cover and am thinking of creating a stencil of a rattie for the front and as some decorative interior art. I'll take pictures when I'm done and share my results.

I'm excited about it. I got the idea one day after I left a session with my therapist, Sally. Mark had just passed away and I was telling her all these wonderful little stories about him. We laughed and cried together. She shared a sentimental story of a pet in her life that she never forgot. Then she said something along the lines of, "Mark would make a great story."




Yes. A story. He was quite the character, for sure. I've never met a pet with such a personality. Mark the Rat made me always think of him as Mark the Person. I loved talking about him when he was alive, all the fun and weird things he did. It got to the point where some of my staff would ask after him, like he was my child.

"How is Mark today?" they would ask. "Is he treating Vincent nicely?"
"Oh," I would say, "Vincent is getting into this business of trying to prove that he can be an alpha rat too."
"What does Mark say to that?"
"My goodness, Mark just bonks him on the head and tells him to can-it."

Why not share it on a bigger scale?

I can tell you and everyone else about how Mark had a girlfriend; about how Mark sired TWO litters in his day. I can tell you how protective he was, how caring he was; how he was the perfect gentleman.

And then we can all laugh and cry together.