Loot from Iraq

The other day I was straightening up our bedroom. I had brought the camera upstairs to take a picture of something in Hunter's room, but found some things in our room that needed their story told. Theo brought me some goodies when he returned from Iraq in October. This bracelet here is so unique. I have never seen anything quite like it. I've only worn it once. Out to dinner with Theo. Each day I look at it sparkling...
This canvas is particularly special. It was painted by a Baghdad artist who was friends with a local national named Sadik (or, Suck-a-my-dik, as Theo called him to his face). Sadik worked at the Bazaar on Theo's base, and he brought the artist "jobs". Theo gave him a copy of the very first picture we took together, and months later this painting was brought back on base for Theo to send home to me. In the photo we are in Theo's backyard on a picnic bench celebrating Easter 2001. The artist didn't feel he could handle the background, so he painted us floating in a big blue yonder. But we love it. It looks just like us. Complete with Theo's highlights, and my goofy, chinny grin. And Dandelions in our hair. We are working on getting it framed. Never been painted before. Cool. Romantic. Finally, this is my favorite: a jewelry box. Complete with lock and key. Made in Pakistan, but sold at the Bazaar also. I have a photo of my Grandma Ivy, and one of her old compacts propped up against the lid... and it's filled with my trinkets.
Theo carried this back with him in a ruck sack. He padded it with his uniforms and such. On the helicopter ride to Balad (the first leg of the journey home) one of the people working tried to take the bag away from him and put it in a cargo area. The helicopter was so loud Theo could not simply explain that he needed to hang on to it. He just clung to the bag vigourously, and shook his head when the person tried to grab it. This makes me laugh. Great visual. Needless to say the person let Theo hang on to it. The jewelry box arrived in perfect shape in the arms of my perfectly wonderful romantic husband.

Theo also brought me a ring. I have not photographed it yet. It's in this jewelry box. I've had bad luck with rings lately. I have been breaking them. I even broke my wedding ring! The heart diamond fell out! I found it under a shelf in my dining room. Still broken though.

Anyway, I wanted to share these "things" my husband brought me from Iraq. Sitting up in our room nobody gets to see them. They are such a beautiful display of Theo's romanticism. I love thinking of him over there picking things out for me. Material things are just that, "things," but when you are seperate for a year, things are one way to express love. And they make priceless reminders of a time and place I hope Theo never has to return to.