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It’s all the rage downtown, though many people have spent many years and piles of money to eliminate it. It’s the converted-warehouse look, and it’s taking off as “the way to be” in the new downtown restaurants.

Back when we lived in Greenville, South Carolina, our family’s absolute favorite restaurant was The Spaghetti Warehouse. It truly was a converted warehouse, one of many in the area, and the exposed ductwork was quite a novelty. Sadly, it didn’t last in that location (maybe the heating bills were too high…), but while it was there, I think we must have eaten out more than at any other time in my life. That restaurant was where my brother discovered that he really likes spumoni, and that was where I discovered that I really don’t.

Part of the atmosphere at The Spaghetti Warehouse was created by all kinds of industrial fixtures, and the wire baskets used for all kinds of purposes, from organization to processing, in functional warehouses were repurposed as light fixtures and shelving, among many other things. There was something cozily attractive about the whole set up, and it seems to have caught on. More and more, the open and exposed look is showing up in new construction as much as in the old repurposed buildings and remodeling projects. It’s amazing how much a coat of paint can change the look of a place.

A college friend used the same method for a simple yet effective remodel in his studio. The studio space was rented, so he was limited in his options, but a coat of paint tied the high ceilings into a very small space and seemed to absorb the ductwork right into the background. The colors he chose were perfect for his purpose—making the mechanicals very un-noticeable, so all eyes were drawn to the sculptures displayed around the studio, rather than to the pipes and ducts overhead.

One of the more recent jobs that my husband has been doing is work in a restaurant being pulled together in another repurposed building. It’s one of the downtown projects, turning a “why hasn’t it been torn down” building into a high-end restaurant and a few apartments, with a coffee shop below. The restaurant is the first to be finished, and it’s done entirely in the industrial style, with the wire mesh light fixtures, the industrial metal chairs and tables, and vintage colors in the vinyl upholstery. What amazes my husband is that the mechanicals that he installs and services are intentionally left exposed, viewed as a design element, in this case, rather than as something that must be hidden, which is the normal state of affairs. Although he’s perfectly content to have easy access to everything, it does take some getting used to, to have a restaurant, and a high-end one, at that, with this kind of mind set…feels more warehouse than residential or culinary.

It’s amazing how wire racks and industrial metal baskets can be the perfect finishing touch for a space. Rugged, industrial purposed wire baskets and racks…they’re not just utilitarian—they’re works of art.

On Teaching Younger Children

As a piano teacher, I am often asked how soon a child could or should begin taking piano lessons. The answers vary, and the following is a guide to help in the decision making process.

When a very young child begins to take piano lessons, there are several things to be considered. First of all, his or her progress will depend greatly on the parents’ faithfulness to help him practice every day. In order to do this, the teacher should write instructions in the student’s notebook at each lesson. The parent should help the child in following the instructions, being careful not to go beyond the current concept, or above the child’s comprehension and ability level. This may cause frustration if the child is asked to do more than she understands. Sometimes the parent should let the child just practice; let him make mistakes at times. At young ages, it is especially important that the child continue to love music, so it does not become a chore.

Secondly, the young child needs to be able to pay attention to instructions, and follow directions. She should be able to hold relatively still for five minutes at a time. Steady eye contact will promote good communication between teacher and student. It is very helpful if he knows his letters and numbers. The student should know which hand is his left and which is his right. She should be able to comprehend directions such as “up” or “down.” Being able to say the music alphabet forward and backward from G-A will enable him to move his fingers and think either forward (up) or backward (down) on the piano.

When the child reaches second grade (or in some cases first or third, depending on the child’s maturity level); the student should be able to practice independently of Mom or Dad’s help. However, parents should still check maybe twice a week to see that the student is practicing according to the teacher’s instructions in the notebook.

For the most part, even when instructing the youngest of children, my goal as a teacher is to give them assignments they can do on their own. Each weekly lesson builds on the previous lesson, with a lot of repetition. Hopefully they will pass their song each lesson; but if not, that song’s concepts are reviewed. The objective is that they will remember what to do and how to practice it correctly.

Liberty Martin teaches young and older students at her Shrewsbury Piano Studio located at 27 North Main St. in New Freedom, Pennsylvania. She can be reached at 717.515.1037. (See her article on The Structure of Miss Liberty’s Piano Lesson for related information.)

My almost three year old son took a tumble in a corn maze at Swamp Fox Farm this morning.  Nothing was hurt but he did get quite dirty and shed multiple tears.  It was a little bit humorous because the whole reason he was crying was because he got all muddy.  He wanted me to get the mud off.  In the middle of a corn maze it’s a little bit hard to wash the mud off your hands and pants!

Unfortunantly I am one of those people that has a bad habit of falling.  I can remember way too many falls in my life!  For example, my very first date.  There’s nothing quite like being a high school senior and falling down in front of your junior college student date!  Oh, and then I can’t forget being 5 months pregnant and then falling down the stairs of the platform at church in front of the whole congregation!

I can remember other falls in front of the “popular kids” in high school, falling at home with my 3rd pregnancy, falling down the stairs as a child and so on.  I guess I should point out that all of these falls were on the stair steps.  Typically I can stay on my feet on flat land, it’s the stair steps that create the problem!

Falling is a normal part of life, more so for some of us graced with not so great balance, but it’s still a part.  When it’s a little tot first learning to work it can be cute sometimes as they fall back on that diaper padded bottom.  Other times it can be heart wrenching as they fall forward on their nose.  As we get older, unfortunately those falls often lead to big bruises and sometimes breaks.  For the elderly of course it often leads to a broken hip or ribs.

It can be scary leaving people alone when you know they are prone to falling.  I found the KR15A Big Red Button at The Home Automation Store which looks like it would be great for elderly people or others who live by themselves.  The Big Red Button can be used in conjunction with the PS561 Voice Dialer Security Console to call a local family member or neighbor.

I do see one drawback, the Voice Dialer does have a siren and flashing lights which might only serve to increase heart rates and stress.  I would think there must be a way to turn off those mechanisms though.  That would certainly be something to ask about before purchasing the product.  I know too many elderly people who have fallen and others haven’t known.  I think we need to make sure we can find out a way to protect those we love when they fall.