Still working my way through the A to Z Challenge at my own speed and now we’ve reached the letter C, which my immediate first reaction is Cat. Probably a flashback to elementary school and learning my ABC’s, but also because I’ve always had cats. This sleepy guy to the left is Jake and the semi-grumpy, camera-shy Keanu is on the right.

Of course, being me and endlessly fascinated with ancient Egypt, I’ve added some Egyptian type cats…The cat lady is a Margaret Le Van “Alley Cat” figurine, which I prowled for on eBay…

I haven’t actually used the cat goddesses much in my novels to date, although Sekhmet the lioness does take an active part in some of the action in the most recent, MAGIC OF THE NILE.

C could also be for carousels, which I’ve loved since I was a little girl. One of my earliest memories is from around age 3, going to ride the merry-go-round somewhere near Phoenix, NY, with my Dad. That’s probably also where my love of horses started (although we’re not to the letter “H” as yet). So I managed to combine the cat theme and the carousel idea in the photo below. There’s also a wonderful series of novels by Sharon Lee entitled “The Carousel Tides”, which I recommend if you enjoy a different take on fantasy, carousels and Maine.

Yes, I do have a lot of knickknacks to dust….mostly when I want to photograph them.

And finally, anyone who ever had toddlers who watched “Sesame Street” endlessly knows “C Is for Cookie” (but with my ubiquitous Egyptian theme going on!):