METAMORPHOSIS: Building the Dome of a Home
METAMORPHOSIS: Building the Dome of a Home METAMORPHOSIS: Building the Dome of a Home
asked him to split his energy between the service and the dome. I pleaded with him to protect her and to ask the angels to line up and deflect any debris that would scar her beautiful countenance. Obviously, he granted my request, because Serenity was serenely waiting for us to return after the storm abated. I felt like there was a passing of the torch that day. I can‟t get my brain around the significance of it all just yet. But, I know in my heart it was another milestone in this adventurous journey we call Life! 39
The home truly exceeds my wildest imagination. 9 SERENITY BY THE SEA I have christened her "Serenity by the Sea". So named because when I enter her domain, I feel serenity and peacefulness instantly wash over me. Our desire was to build a refuge from the storms of life. With her gentle embrace and solid support, Serenity offers a haven to view the world differently; to slow down and take a deep breath; to be grateful for the incredible beauty that surrounds you. Her effect on people is becoming predictably palpable: widening eyes; gaping mouths becoming a smile; a spin around to get a good look; and a burst of laughter. She sets your heart free to discover the joy of thinking out of the box. Every time I walk into Serenity by the Sea, I am overwhelmed with awe at her beauty. When I shared her name with my husband, he wanted to know how I knew it was a female. Obvious to me, look at those curves! With a gracefulness that defies the pictures, the stairs welcome you to the most peaceful place in Paradise. With her embracing arms guiding you into the heart of the home, Serenity offers a safe harbor. An ambiance that defies expression envelopes her visitors as they explore the fantastic features hiding around the curved walls. Pictures are a poor substitute for an actual visit; they cannot capture the energy that transforms Serenity‟s guests into Alice in Wonderland. Hurricane Ivan, 2004, ripped the stairs from the dome – they were not structurally attached and performed exactly as designed. I missed the staircase desperately. With amputated arms, Serenity by the Sea lost her ability to embrace the visiting guests. I was deeply distressed by Serenity‟s wounds. One of my happiest days is when the stairs were rebuilt and we could once again glide up them and into core of our peaceful domain. The stairs were repaired before the 2005 storm season began. So with horror gripping our hearts, we watched the first storm of the season, Arlene, approach. Reconstruction had begun on Pensacola Beach in earnest. Construction debris, dumpsters, FEMA trailers, and construction lumber supplies were literally everywhere. I had visions of floating dumpsters acting as battering rams beating Serenity‟s arms until they were just stubs; of lumber lifted by heavy winds and projected through our windows; and of construction debris swirling in a maelstrom of demented destruction. Fortunately, Tropical Storm Arlene was little more than a common thunderstorm. But, a month later Hurricane Dennis powerfully made landfall at our beach. In the days preceding the storm‟s arrival, I called the companies that owned the numerous dumpsters lining our street requesting they move the 40
- Page 2 and 3: Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION ..
- Page 4 and 5: Our mission is to help reduce the s
- Page 6 and 7: 2 HURRICANE IVAN Surviving the Stor
- Page 8 and 9: Fortunately, before I had left for
- Page 10 and 11: ack on the island in our homes; end
- Page 12 and 13: for the entire house, so we all sta
- Page 14 and 15: They slept in the parking lot of th
- Page 16 and 17: esistant than its conventional neig
- Page 18 and 19: 3 Mother Nature's Influence in My L
- Page 20 and 21: The winds spawned an F-1 tornado th
- Page 22 and 23: Two hours before the intense impact
- Page 24 and 25: The kitchen trash. 4 HUMBLE BEGINNI
- Page 26 and 27: The cost of submitting the applicat
- Page 28 and 29: equired building codes for the coas
- Page 30 and 31: 6 METAMORPHOSIS The Dome Home would
- Page 32 and 33: In utter shock, I stopped my sobbin
- Page 34 and 35: 7 SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN The
- Page 36 and 37: I compiled our wish list into a sev
- Page 38 and 39: VALERIE A Tribute to our Friend Jon
- Page 42 and 43: dangerous boats of debris. Not a si
- Page 44 and 45: 10 TO HURRICANE HELL AND BACK THE U
- Page 46 and 47: arrange for transportation to the n
- Page 48 and 49: SURVIVOR OR VICTIM As Katrina looms
- Page 50 and 51: trenches helping in innumerable way
- Page 52 and 53: I have learned to be mostly unattac
- Page 54 and 55: As I edit this book, I find there i
- Page 56 and 57: Although our counties are now suppo
- Page 58 and 59: Even with all of the heartache, tea
- Page 60 and 61: The SEAPILE piling is placed into t
- Page 62 and 63: The balloon created quite a stir on
- Page 64 and 65: that hold the balloons‟ pieces to
- Page 66 and 67: FLEX-C TRAC, solved our dilemma and
- Page 68 and 69: PRODUCTS SELECTED FOR THE COASTAL E
- Page 70 and 71: DENSGLASS GOLD® EXTERIOR GUARD Den
- Page 72 and 73: With its double pane, glass block i
- Page 74 and 75: Another significant advantage of ea
- Page 76 and 77: We used foam insulation throughout
- Page 78 and 79: frustrated with my family, I rememb
- Page 80 and 81: usiness to be managed." Never have
- Page 82 and 83: Architecture Magazine: Dome Home Su
- Page 84 and 85: 14 THE THUNDER ROLLS The thunder ro
- Page 86: The Skybird Lodge would address the
The home truly exceeds my wildest imagination.<br />
9 SERENITY BY THE SEA<br />
I have christened her "Serenity by <strong>the</strong> Sea". So named because when I enter her domain, I feel<br />
serenity and peacefulness instantly wash over me. Our desire was to build a refuge from <strong>the</strong><br />
storms <strong>of</strong> life. With her gentle embrace and solid support, Serenity <strong>of</strong>fers a haven to view <strong>the</strong><br />
world differently; to slow down and take a deep breath; to be grateful for <strong>the</strong> incredible beauty that<br />
surrounds you. Her effect on people is becoming predictably palpable: widening eyes; gaping<br />
mouths becoming a smile; a spin around to get a good look; and a burst <strong>of</strong> laughter. She sets<br />
your heart free to discover <strong>the</strong> joy <strong>of</strong> thinking out <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> box. Every time I walk into Serenity by <strong>the</strong><br />
Sea, I am overwhelmed with awe at her beauty.<br />
When I shared her name with my husband, he wanted to know how I knew it was a female.<br />
Obvious to me, look at those curves! With a gracefulness that defies <strong>the</strong> pictures, <strong>the</strong> stairs<br />
welcome you to <strong>the</strong> most peaceful place in Paradise. With her embracing arms guiding you into<br />
<strong>the</strong> heart <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> home, Serenity <strong>of</strong>fers a safe harbor. An ambiance that defies expression<br />
envelopes her visitors as <strong>the</strong>y explore <strong>the</strong> fantastic features hiding around <strong>the</strong> curved walls.<br />
Pictures are a poor substitute for an actual visit; <strong>the</strong>y cannot capture <strong>the</strong> energy that transforms<br />
Serenity‟s guests into Alice in Wonderland.<br />
Hurricane Ivan, 2004, ripped <strong>the</strong> stairs from <strong>the</strong> dome – <strong>the</strong>y were not structurally attached and<br />
performed exactly as designed. I missed <strong>the</strong> staircase desperately. With amputated arms,<br />
Serenity by <strong>the</strong> Sea lost her ability to embrace <strong>the</strong> visiting guests. I was deeply distressed by<br />
Serenity‟s wounds. One <strong>of</strong> my happiest days is when <strong>the</strong> stairs were rebuilt and we could once<br />
again glide up <strong>the</strong>m and into core <strong>of</strong> our peaceful domain.<br />
The stairs were<br />
repaired before <strong>the</strong><br />
2005 storm season<br />
began. So with horror<br />
gripping our hearts,<br />
we watched <strong>the</strong> first<br />
storm <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> season,<br />
Arlene, approach.<br />
Reconstruction had<br />
begun on Pensacola<br />
Beach in earnest.<br />
Construction debris,<br />
dumpsters, FEMA<br />
trailers, and<br />
construction lumber<br />
supplies were literally<br />
everywhere. I had<br />
visions <strong>of</strong> floating<br />
dumpsters acting as<br />
battering rams beating<br />
Serenity‟s arms until<br />
<strong>the</strong>y were just stubs; <strong>of</strong> lumber lifted by heavy winds and projected through our windows; and <strong>of</strong><br />
construction debris swirling in a maelstrom <strong>of</strong> demented destruction. Fortunately, Tropical Storm<br />
Arlene was little more than a common thunderstorm. But, a month later Hurricane Dennis<br />
powerfully made landfall at our beach. In <strong>the</strong> days preceding <strong>the</strong> storm‟s arrival, I called <strong>the</strong><br />
companies that owned <strong>the</strong> numerous dumpsters lining our street requesting <strong>the</strong>y move <strong>the</strong><br />
40
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