Wendy

If you have ever met Wendy, you know there is one thing she loves more than just about anything else in the world…floating. And this isn’t something that started later in life, this is something she was BORN WITH.

Over the past decade plus, there is absolutely no one I have traveled with, gone out to eat with, seen live music with, and just generally spent more time with than Wendy. We are truly the perfect friend couple - I’m way too loud and she is completely deaf. We often joke about making up our own sign language (“Beach Boys”) and I know we will be sitting in floats on the Russian River screaming and laughing for the rest of our days.

In recent years, we have been through some stuff together…losing Dar, health stuff, covid, etc…and I am so glad we are finally on the other side of all of that, making plans again for the future. I love Wendy so much and value our friendship more than words can say. There was a point in time when she had to go to the hospital for some testing and procedures. I went with her to some of those appointments and upon arrival for one of the first, I told the people at the front desk I was her good friend and would be accompanying her due to her hearing disability to ensure that she understands what is being asked of her. It became obvious that these people thought I had some sign language skills or similar, but we will get back to that in a minute.

They send Wendy and I to the registration desk, explaining to the administrator that Wendy is hearing disabled and I was there to help interpret the information to her. Again, that weird feeling that they think I actually know sign language. Hmmmm. The first woman leaves the room and the administrator looks at Wendy and says, “birthdate?” Wendy immediately looks at me, as does the administrator, who is clearly waiting for me to sign the question to Wendy. Except I don’t know sign language. I am just loud. So I look at Wendy and I scream, “she wants to know your birthday!!!!” loudly, into her face. She turns at looks at the administrator and tells her the date. The administrator is now laughing hysterically when she realizes the situation. We go back and forth like that for probably a dozen questions – the administrator asking, me shouting it in Wendy’s face, Wendy responding – until she gets all the information that is needed. And in that moment, in light of the gravity of the reason why we were there, just being able to laugh seemed like exactly what all of us needed.

A little release of steam in a tense, stressful day. I am so glad I could be there for that and to support my friend.

The next portrait in my series is entitled, “Wendy.” The picture is based on the first known float picture (that I am aware of) and captures how it all began. She has purple, blue, red and pink flowers and dichroic glitter in her face with the words, “One true friend adds to our happiness” and my true friendship with Wendy has certainly added to my happiness. Her float is a combination of iridescent and dichroic glass that is rainbow when front lit and red when backlit. Her swimsuit is blue gingham fabric and it is set in textured clear glass with “water droplets” to represent the pool she is floating, gleefully, in…some things never change.