I finished a book! Woooow... It took 5 months... Don't misunderstand, I read a lot of stuff, just very rarely do I find/make the time to read a novel for pleasure. However, when I discovered that the movie "Willard" (and its sequel "Ben") were based on a book published in 1969 called
Ratman's Notebooks by Stephen Gilbert I had to hunt down a copy! This was an excellent read, with almost nothing supernatural and just a very bizarre and believable relationship between a man and his basement-full of rats.
But what I really wanted to share with you, what I really think is blog-worthy, is how I "saved" this book. I purchased it online through
abebooks and when it arrived I knew there was trouble: opening the packet released a musty, damp basement smell. Upon inspection, and removing the dust jacket I discovered white "clouds" on the black fabric cover: mold. No, no, no!!! I wanted not only to read it, but also add it to my collection of rat books! What to do? After asking around and reading online, I devised my "recipe" for book rescue:
First, I threw it into the freezer, for about two weeks while I researched but it probably only needed 48 hours. Then, I rubbed it down with rubbing alcohol (using a cloth I then discarded), getting the cover saturated but not overly wet. After thoroughly drying outside in the sun and wind, the book went back into the freezer, 48 hours. Finally, I wiped it down again with rubbing alcohol and again let it dry in a very well ventilated area. The end result: there appears to be no more mold and the book has just that pleasant old book smell. Now, after 5 months there is still no sign of any growth and I feel that I can safely place the book with the rest of the collection, although I think laying it on top of the shelved items so it's still well ventilated and gets the occasional check to make sure nothing has changed.
So, there you are, a book rescue remedy! If you've ever experienced this kind of literary emergency and created your own recipe, I'd love to know about it!
I also added a tail with scraps of left-over fabric. Finally, my Port is jointed on all 5 points, I just couldn't make him in a fixed position or use ordinary string jointing so I used washers and strong plastic beads to devise a very sturdy and more mobile string joint in his arms and neck. The legs got full screw-and-nut-joints.
He's named Port because I was listening to The Watch that Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic by Allan Wolf while making him. Boy, did it ever make the hours pass quickly! An incredibly well-read book with multiple readers, this new version of the Titanic's only voyage is told by about 17 characters in the first person, very personal and touching. The author was as historically accurate as possible, keeping to the facts while fleshing out the lives of his chosen voices. The most unusual character is one of the ship's rats and the most beautifully and imaginatively wrought is the iceberg! Yes, the ice is given a voice and it's incredible the beauty and calm relentless poetry it weaves with its words. The entire book is like a poem but the ice is perfection! I highly recommend this book on CD. 
I finished a book! Woooow... It took 5 months... Don't misunderstand, I read a lot of stuff, just very rarely do I find/make the time to read a novel for pleasure. However, when I discovered that the movie "Willard" (and its sequel "Ben") were based on a book published in 1969 called Ratman's Notebooks by Stephen Gilbert I had to hunt down a copy! This was an excellent read, with almost nothing supernatural and just a very bizarre and believable relationship between a man and his basement-full of rats. 
And here we are last Monday: ted now has completed arms and legs and the head is coming along very nicely, quite a sweet fellow! One ear is done... and then I ran out of time, light and eye-ball power! So, as we stand on the starting line of a new weekend I hope to give birth! 
