Judging by its cover...

...this must be one hilarious book!

I am a longtime fan of Downton Abbey, having gotten in on the wildly popular UK series from the beginning. I even own the first two seasons on DVD and although I was pretty irate over the way season three ended with the sudden death of one of the main characters (so angry that I vowed I would not watch season four), I am once again tuning in on Sunday nights to find out what's happening with Mr. Carson, Anna, Bates, Lord Grantham, the Dowager Duchess and the rest of the cast. I suppose in many ways it is nothing more than a glorified soap opera, but in my opinion the period sets, lush scenery, gorgeous costumes and stellar performances put it a few notches above All My Children and the like.

Tomorrow night is the season finale and I am anticipating a real humdinger of an episode since there are so many juicy plot threads to be resolved, including the mystery of what in the world happened to Mr. Gregson, Edith's suitor who disappeared in pre-WWII Germany. Then there is the matter of the repulsive Mr. Green, the valet of Lord Gillingham who died after being hit by a bus near Piccadilly in London. Was it an accident or did Mr. Bates give him a little push off the pavement as payback for what Green did to Bates' wife, Anna? Inquiring minds definitely want to know! LOL Bates supposedly spent that day in York, but we the viewers don't know that for sure and Green certainly had it coming!

One of my former co-workers at the local newspaper used to tease me by referring to the show as "Downtown Abbey," a name which came about from his misreading of a headline on a story I was running about the series. The name stuck and now I often call it that as do a couple of other friends who watch the show.

Recently my friend Carolyn from Mineral Point, who is also a Downton fan, told me about a parody book she has called Downton Tabby. I can't wait to see it next time I visit her! It looks really funny, especially since I adore cat-themed parody books and own a few myself, including Kat Kong by Dav Pilkey, who also wrote Dogzilla. (I'm sure you can figure out what that one is about!) Published in 1993 by Harcourt Brace & Co., the former is really cute with characters like Professor Vincent Varmint, Rosie Rodent and Captain Charles Limburger. Playing the part of the monster is a cat named Blueberry. :-) The book claims to be rated TS for "Terribly Silly" and indeed it is. According to the author, "The illustrations in this book are manipulated photographic collage, heavily retouched with acrylic paint."

Evidently the Downton Tabby book is such a hit 

it even has its own T-shirts! LOL