Equine Artist Stacey Mayer's Tribute to her Father; Stanley Friend.
I heard his voice for the first time during the annual IAHA Arabian Horse Art Auction dinner.
Mary Lou Wahlberg, announcer and commentator, interrupted her description of a Arabian horse painting by saying, "Stacey Mayer, there is a phone call from home for you in the lobby..." The beautiful lobby of the Saddleback Hotel, of Scottsdale, Arizona. I was far away from my home in Seattle; what had happened?
My heart stopped. I was carrying our third child, Frannie, who was to be born that July. I protectively wrapped my arms across my baby belly, and as my friends comforted me, I walked out to the phones. My husband was on hold; "All is well; it's OK; your father would like to talk to you, that's all."
"What?" My Dad, the only one I knew, had been lost in a family boating accident. Searchers had been unable to find his body. Phil was trying to carefully say, "real father" but I kept hearing, "Dad". My Dad was lost; what was Phil saying?
"Your real father called here; I talked to him; Stanley Friend, your real Dad, he's going to be calling you at this number. Just hold on a few minutes, he wants to talk to you."
"You mean Stanley Friend?"
Dad; father; my genesis; was only an imagined dream from my childhood. I'd never even seen a picture of him. I knew he was the source of my reddish hair; but for reasons unknown while I was growing up, that's all I knew.
Since I wasn't given details, I made up the rest. He loved me; he'd come and rescue me someday. We'd travel together to the castle on Garden Island, floating in the morning mist of Ozette Lake. We would be happy there.
The lobby phone rang again. I felt my baby leap. "Hello?"
"Hello; this is Stanley Friend; they tell me you think I'm your father."
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From Western vests, to Victorian sidesaddle skirts, Aurelia's is known for couture quality at value prices. Your custom designs and recreations are welcome; they are always interested in creating new historic recreations or sewing new classics for fellow horse lovers. If you'd like to re-create a historic Western sidesaddle show skirt, or parts of a reenactment wardrobe, just let them know. Visit, Aurelia's Regalia to see their entire line of historic Victorian and reenactment costumes and accessories.
Nineteen seventy-five was my first year away from home, after transferring to Washington State University from the University of Washington's Seattle campus, where I'd 
been going to school close to home. I was looking forward to a new environment in Pullman, meeting new friends, and bringing my horse with me. My horse, Seraphim, was a dark chestnut, Anglo-Arabian gelding my Dad purchased for me when I was eleven years old. I was looking forward to drawing and painting classes, and taking dressage lessons with my horse over the coming summer.
