Decorating Chicken

When Dave and I first arrived in Russia we did a lot more exploring than we do now. We were really interested in checking out the open market in Unecha. We arrived a little late in the day for the open market, they usually wrap up around one, so all of the stalls weren't open. We wandered up and down the aisles checking out the various good. One stall was full of velvet paintings, and that is where we saw it in full velvet glory. A half naked Egyptian lady hanging out with her buddy the lion, you know, chilling. 

Dave said he had to have it. Money was no object, it must be his. He would proudly display it here in Russia and then we would somehow get it home with us, and that lovely velvet painting would be on display in the Voth home for many years to come. Ten years in, I know when Dave is joking. But sometimes you just have to roll with things and see how they play out. We decided that we would forgo the painting that day, but if we saw it again of course we would have to get it.

A few weeks later we were looking to buy a baby walker for AJ and happened upon another copy of the best painting in the world in Surazh. This one was smaller and not on velvet, so while not as totally awesome, it was a little more portable and a lot fewer Rubles. Dave threatened again to buy it, and I persuaded him that we should wait until we knew exactly where in the house we should hang it. So, we bought the walker and promptly forgot about it.

A few weeks ago I went to Bryansk with some of the other Americans while Dave had to work. We went to the Metro which is a huge Costco like store with a ton of imported stuff. I was looking through some picture frames in the back of the store when I stumbled upon it. A giant poster of the painting. At 300 Rubles it was too good a deal to pass up. I knew that if I bought it there was a pretty good chance I would have to hang it up, but I figured the look on Dave's face when I brought it in from the truck would be worth years of a painting I don't particularly like. 

I made it home with only a few dents to the poster, and opened the door and said, "You are about to tell me that I am totally awesome and the best wife ever." I went back out to the truck and brought the poster back in. Dave did a double take and then laughed his butt off. That was worth the 300 Rubles, but now I do have it hanging up. Luckily it is in the bedroom so hardly anyone will see it, but it does make our taste in artwork a little more suspect to have this masterpiece in the boudoir.