Presence & Offerings of My Wise Ones

I won't tell you the meanings I see here,

my personal connections,

the lessons involved --

because

it just may be

you will discover

something(s)

for yourself,

& wouldn't that be

FABULOUS?

All photos mine,

from a Sunday

'Rainy Day Gallivant'

with

My Lovely Mother.

Structural Engineering is Art - Guest Artist "M.H."

Orthodox Church, Arizona

Structural Engineer: The underwriter

Building Area: 14,056 square feet.

Unit structural building cost: $43.47/sq ft.

Close communication between the Architect, the Structural Engineer and the Builder allowed for a structural design that provided for the distinctive architecture, economically and such that the structural solution could be built within the time constraints of the Building Committee.

The 156 feet long by 82 feet wide building was designed such that the gravitational loads as well as the lateral loads from wind and earthquake were transmitted from the roof diaphragm to the post-tensioned foundation through light gauge steel trusses supported by steel beams and steel columns, as well as light gauge steel stud walls clad with steel siding and masonry walls. Additional shear walls were required at some key locations in order to assure the redundant behavior of the structural system handling the lateral loads. Columns and Shear Walls were placed around the building perimeter as the Owner and Architect could not tolerate any sightline obstructions within the Church Sanctuary.

The 35-foot diameter, 10-foot tall dome was designed of light gauge steel trusses converging towards the central ring located some 45 feet above the finished floor. The dome is supported by a series of long span, steel beams such that no columns fell within the sanctuary as reported above. The mezzanine deck, at the perimeter of the building, functions as an auditorium, building storage and bookstore, and was designed of light gauge steel trusses supported by steel beams and steel columns; again, with a minimum of columns. The steel beam structural system is simple, yet effectively chosen to withstand the gravitational loads from the dome, roof and suspended floor.

The elevator between the ground and upper floor was accommodated into the design, such that the integration of the elevator element, as a shear core, contributes substantially to the lateral load resisting elements of the structure.

As a typical Orthodox Church signature, the bell tower rises up to 47 feet above finished floor. The bell tower was designed of masonry walls with a light gauge steel domed roof. The lower 21 feet of the tower consists of arched entryways to accommodate entry, walk-through and stairwells and is supported on four “L-shaped” masonry legs.

The foundation of the building was not only designed to safely carry the load from the structural elements to the ground, but also to accommodate the impact of the highly expansive soil. Since the Building Committee desired installation of granite over the finished floor, a post-tension slab design was the solution to respond to floor loads, point loads, crack control, and serviceability issues. The post-tension slab enables and facilitates the granite application over the large main floor surface area as construction joints and slab control joints could be eliminated. The main floor slab is thus placed in compression in both north/south and east/west directions and with the elimination of the construction and control joints and the inclusion of a fracture membrane between the slab and the granite floor tiles, the risk of tile cracking due to slab movement and concrete shrinkage was substantially mitigated.

The slab design result was a state of the art post-tension slab, 156 feet long by 82 feet wide by 11 inches thick. A total of 134, ½ inch diameter tendons up to 156 feet long spaced at 12 inches to 16 inches in the long direction and 17 inches to 25 inches in the short direction were used for the post-tensioning phase of the foundation.

The Structural Engineer is proud to have been associated with this project and was doubly pleased that the project was completed on time, within the very tight budget of the congregation, and provided a structural solution to achieve the distinctive and classic appearance developed by the Architect.

Respectfully submitted,
"M.H."
The Structural Engineer

* * * * * * * * * *

Thank you, "M.H.",

for finding a way to

create this post

without compromising the client.

Fragments

You'll notice,

upcoming/ongoing,

adjustments to posts here at Mermaid Tango.

As I'm learning,

techniques, events,

and Guest Artist opportunities

require

infinitely more

flexibility & spontaneity

than I've been allowing.

As well,

scheduling a regular post for Fridays

was a stroke of 'Dumb Blond' on my part!

My obligations

(not to mention stress level)

that day just

won't have it!

Meanwhile,

I leave you with a fragment

of a Mail Art piece

from my Freedom Wall -

I can't part with this yet!

Happy Thursday!

Storyboard Says ...

There Is No Rescue

'J' [a friend] is right -- he's a facilitator.

No one except me can be the practitioner.

I wrote it a minute ago:

THERE IS NO RESCUE.

I don't want to want rescue, either.

But there is help.

Guidance, suggestion,

advice,

opportunity by association.

It's incumbent on me to make use of all that.

Flight or grounding, coccoon or wings -

that choice will always and only be my own. 

If I crave autonomy in the most authentic way,

then I have to do the work myself. 

Then and only then do I own the lessons,

 and the resultant life,

firsthand.

Saying "yes" is part of that.

Saying "no" is, also.

Oddly, neither is easy or certain. 

Some choices are wholly instinct-driven.

This (above) is not the fantasy I want anymore.

Rescue.

Choice based on safety

or habit

or externally defined

mindsets

and

traditions.

The cost of rescue is

servitude of some sort

to the rescuer.

Safety is a cage.

Norms don't allow

individuation or growth

for any of those involved.

All of it is like

voluntarily

lacing up concrete shoes

&

kissing flight goodbye.

No!

No!

No!

It's not my ambition to be a 'lady.'

I strive to be

A Woman,

of the singular sort:

Me!  Self!

Love me or not,

but retaining my wholeness regardless.

I'm earning that right,

bit by bit,

tiny baby step by tiny baby step,

choice by conscious choice,

walking ahead even with fear in tow.

Fear,

as it turns out,

can be an awesome catalyst,

if allowed.

Yes.

Or no.

MY voice.

It is past the time

to question

everything,

and

to watch

the

real

responses

rise.

Tuesday Technique'N: Go on An Artists' Date - The Real Thing

The Plan:

The Place:  Grand Lux Cafe, Scottsdale, AZ

The Time:  3 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon

The Artists:  eb bunsen and yours truly

The Purpose:  our first personal meeting, tea, and journaling

eb's choice.

I selected Egyptian Chamomile tea.

I also ordered the creme brulee duo,

inspired by a light fixture

directly overhead.

eb's idea of 'helping me'

with the dessert

was to take

One Single Forkful

out of each.

Harrumpph.

Our poor waitress,

Tereshia,

had to come back several times

to actually obtain our order.

eb was teaching me

how to do a photo transfer,

dontcha know.

Priorities!

The wooden spoon?

A critical technique tool.

The lemons?

Picturesque, of course!

We both whipped out our cameras

at the same time,

then collapsed in laughter!

eb said, 'You are SO a woman after my own heart!'

I said, 'Get your shadow outta my picture!'

(no, I didn't really!)

We asked when we came in

if we could take photos.

Yes.

But when we did,

on our way out,

the General Manager

hurried over to say,

'Not allowed, actually!'

[What is UP with that, anyway?]

I'm thinking of creating a

piece of mail art & sending it to him,

so he can see how harmless

we journaling nuts really are

with our photos --

we're not stealing ideas for our own cafe,

really, we're not. 

We just want commemorative

& GORGEOUS

photos for our journal pages,

Dude.

The Result:

*  Discovery of a like-minded soul friend

(one who actually thought me 'mellow',

not to mention 'in my late 30s' - woot! -

I had to say,

"No, Dearest,

I'm hip to the hot flash syndrome myself!")

* A Creme Brulee sugar rush that carried

me through to bedtime!

(Yes, I finished them both, okayuh?!)

* photo transfers that finally transfer

(except now my printer stopped working!!)

*  The realization of how lonely I've been,

working in solitude as I do,

& how incredible it is

to emerge,

to connect,

to 'talk journal'

(& specifically:  JOURNAL)

with someone else who entirely 'gets it',

to put the journal, finally, aside

because the dialogue is so

dimensional,

hilarious,

intelligent,

opening,

to See,

& Be Seen!

Our Advice:

Make it,

at minimum,

an Annual Event!!

We are.