"Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "Virginia Tadrzynski" > wrote:
>
>> I just attended a "Ladies' Night Out' at church with a speaker and an
>> optional craft (blessing wreath). I was speaking to the organizer about
>> upcoming events and we got around to discussing the last 'cooking' night.
>> They had a 24 speaker who had a cook book collection of (drum roll
>> please)....20 cookbooks. I snorted and called her a rank amateur (I
>> think
>> I have around 3k but don't quote me). I suggested a night where we trade
>> crafts. I crochet and can do cross stitch and have done other artsy
>> fartsy
>> things, but the one thing I cannot do is knit. I told her I would like
>> to
>> learn how. She looked whistful and said the one thing she would like to
>> do
>> is learn to jar thingies. I asked her 'you mean canning and preserving'
>> and
>> she said yes. I told her I would get back with her, as we could work out
>> how
>> it could be taught to the group.
>>
>> So here is a hypothetical question for you, my illustrious group of
>> canning
>> giants. What would you trade teaching canning skills for? What would
>> you
>> like to learn that you don't know how to do? I think I would can all day
>> for someone if they would just clean my damned house for me. What about
>> you?
>
> <Barb dons her flameproof panties [the black lacy ones]>
>
> I prefer cash. I like it because I like clear communication. I like it
> because I put a value on what I do and speaking the local language is
> always nice. The local language is dollars and cents; good or bad, it
> is the language on which our society operates.
>
> Having said that, last night I had a two-hour session with 9 women
> wherein I taught them (demonstrated and let them get their hands on) how
> to make two kinds of pepper jelly. I provided four ways (with samples
> for all to taste) of what to do with the damned stuff. I spent about
> 8-16 hours prepping (shopping, making, preparing a 6-page handout with
> recipes) for it. I prepared (and shopped for supplies for) 14 people.
>
> It was cold last night and 5 opted out (without calling, thank you).
> I'll receive $30 for it. That *might* cover my supplies. Those
> present paid $2 each for the privilege. They took home two jars of
> jelly each. This was a labor of love and naught but a fun time for ME <
> very self-serving.
>
> I told a couple of women that if I were selling that jelly (I'm thinking
> that I calculated costs to less than a buck a jar) I would charge at
> least $5 for a jar. One gasped. I just smiled and said that I don't
> believe in undervaluing my skill and knowledge and my time. Women too
> often do that. The lady understood what I was saying.
>
> That was a volunteer thing, booked by the church's social director
> (sweet woman) and I was happy to do it -- like I said, it was very
> self-serving fun for me < I want to meet younger people at the place
> besides all the geezers I've met. When I've taught for Community Ed
> (EXACT same thing), I've been paid about $25-40 per hour. I doubt last
> night's group know that they were getting a real deal. <grin>
>
> I like cash because I can then value my "product" as I wish and the
> 'buyer' has the absolute right to say, "Yippee skippy, that's SUCH a
> bargain," or "Oh, gosh, that's more than I can do right now." NO HARD
> FEELINGS. I also like cash because I can then state my dissatisfaction,
> if there should be any, more forthrightly and with less fear of
> upsetting a friendship. It's a more professional way of doing things, I
> think. And I like cash because if it's something I don't especially
> want to do, but am willing to do "if the the price is right," then
> that's a choice that I willingly made. There's no keeping score trying
> to make sure I didn't give more than I thought I was getting < give me a
> dollar figure and I'll decide if I can, want to, or am willing to pay
> that amount.
>
> There are lots of things that I don't know how to do that I have
> absolutely no interesting in learning how to do. Sewing my own
> clothing. I was happy to pay The Widow Geraldine to sew clothing for
> me. That she charged a pittance wasn't my decision to make. I'd have
> paid her twice was she charged.
>
> Then again, the bottom line is not always about dollars and cents. It
> just isn't.
>
> This is not an absolute answer to your question, Ginny. I was in the
> midst of writing it when I got a mail message from the coordinator of
> last night's event, wanting my evaluation of the evening. I told her
> that I'd send this to her because a lot of what's here was discussed in
> her note.
> -Barb
> --
> -Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
> Notes about our meals in Tuscany have been posted to
> http://www.jamlady.eboard.com; 10-16-2007
I'm with you, Barb - cash is king! However, I had a neighbour with a glut
of tomatoes one year who didn't know how to make salsa. She told me I could
have as many as I wanted if I showed her how to make salsa. I thought that
was fair.
Also, I'm quite proud of what I know and of what I can do, so I would share
that for pretty much peanuts, if anyone asked. My bestist friend and
sister-in-law didn't know anything about home repair and reno, so when she
needed help in stripping wallpaper, repairing drywall and painting, she
asked me. It's all stuff I LOVE to do and I'm pretty good at it, if I do
say so myself. So I brought all my tools, told her what she needed to buy,
and we did it together, then shared a bottle of wine. We're both 'winos'.
That was payment enuff for me. Oh, and she's also a professional hair
stylist, and does my hair and my family's for free....So in a sense, I guess
we traded our knowledge.
PS....I keep track of all I spend in a year, on all the preserving I do,
because I make most of my stuff as Christmas gifts (sort of out of
curiosity, really). So I tally up my expenses (jars, sugar, fruit, pectin,
veggies, whatever) and divide it by the number of jars I end up with. So
far this year, (and I'm not done yet ) I have spent $188.89 and I have 171
jars....that's $1.11 a jar.....Barb, 5 bucks a jar is low, IMO...factor in
labour, electricity......heck, the grocery store charges $5 bucks they have
all that extra crap in their stuff!....actually, I don't really know what
the grocery store charges - haven't bot jam in 20 years.........
Kathi