Fireside Dreams: A Memory-Catching Blog Event

I happened to catch my sister in a moment where I thought, "Jiminy! This would make a smashing painting!" and I then and there promised myself I'd do a little watercolor of her later on. I began thinking how many of these quaint moments I let slide through my fingers, and what a treasure they'd be if I could capture them in a quick painting or sketch. It wouldn't take that long, and oh, how precious they would be later on in life! So I'm pledging here and now to do a sketch or painting each week of a family member, a memorable occasion, a familiar view from a window, or anything else that catches my fancy, and share it with you along with the story behind it. It'll be a weekly blog event, so mark it on your...whatever you mark these things on! :D In fact, I challenge you, if you have even the smallest amount of skill with a pencil, pen, or paintbrush, to catch these moments. I'm doing it part as a reminder of myself to remember these moments, and also as a heritage project--each sketch or painting will be put away in my hope-chest for later amusement.
I'm calling it Fireside Dreams--a Memory-Catching Blog Event. :) The name comes from the captivating moments by a fire when the cares of present and future fade away and we are left pondering the past. Memories are so golden and beautiful in those moments--any pain or embarrassment are dropped away like a sheer curtain, leaving only the polished beauty of old times. This blog event is designed to help us capture those Fireside Dreams in the present, that we may never forget them. Ready? If you want to join, just leave a comment with a link to your post below, and even if you don't have skill in this area, please spread the news around! :)
Now for Fireside Dreams Week One: "Oh, Fudge!"

My youngest sister, Gracie, is absolutely incorrigible. She's got so much personality I constantly expect to her explode. The other day I was making fudge and Gracie ran in, hair flying, cheeks dimpling. I had to pay homage to her adorableness in some way, so I handed her the fudge spoon. A moment later I peeped into the study and saw Grace standing on a strange contraption of chairs and pillows, her mouth, nose, and hands covered in fudge, with Supreme Happiness written on each cheek. :)
When asked what on earth she was doing, she shrugged and replied [in between two huge licks of the spoon] "Doing my Gyn-nastics!" I suppose she had been inspired by Curious George that morning and decided to make some sort of gymnastics set-up. Silly girl! So I painted her, much to her satisfaction, this morning. In the picture also is her Dolly, [a very real person in her mind] her crazy purple-fuzzy-hat, and several other tokens of her eclectic dress-up style. :)

There you have this week's edition! :)