A few weeks ago, I felt a tickle in the back of my throat, but it went away without any fanfare. As I heard the tales of summer colds and fall allergies around me, I counted myself lucky that I did not get sick.

Now the tickle in the back of my throat is back and I am thirsty. It also gets cooler outside as another difference.

The temperatures are falling, and the season is otherwise known as "Fall."

All three of the above illustrations are from a children's book. Published by the Wilcox & Follett Co., Chicago. Cinderella is a retelling of the fairy tale by Esther K. Meeks. What captivated me ever since I was a child were the illustrations drawn by Doris Stolberg. I was always enamored by the first dress Cinderella wore. I loved how it had a peplum, a basque waist, a beautifully embroidered skirt, the fur-trimmed bell sleeves, and an overskirt. Most of all, what I loved was the design on the abdomen, the vertical splash of pink that drew my attention. It was unique.

As a kid, I promised myself when I grew up that I would wear one like it. The only detail I didn't like about the ensemble was the cap Cinderella wore, and since the copy of the book I had no longer had a cover, I had no idea she wore a more fancy up-do for the cover until I began to search the Internet.

As I grew older, I realized I would never be able to afford to have a dress like this made, nor would I look as good in it as the illustrated figure as I look nothing like the Cinderella pictured above. However, looking at these images always remind me of my childhood dream.  Now I share this dream in the hopes that someone else may make it a reality in their lives.

I took a short break from writing posts in order to clear my mind, Instead, leaving the practice of writing seems to have had no effect, either positive or negative.  My mind is no clearer but it does not seem to be any duller, either.