Trash Picking and A Story

Ball jar, lid and ring

It is amazing what people will throw in the trash. Thankfully, there are people who think nothing of trash picking.

 

When exbf came this week, he was disgusted that someone threw away something. I was very anxious and came right to him when he said, "Look what someone threw away at work." My knees were weak before he pulled it out of the bag. One perfect Ball jar with a never-used lid/flat, and a ring.

 

Happy, yet skeptical, I mused aloud about what could have been in the jar. I am always afraid someone peed in things or that something noxious had been stored in what I am loving. He was quick to dismiss that notion.

 

The jar was full of trail mix with a ribbon and homemade card, he explained, saying it looked like a Christmas gift from a kindergartner. Sooo, a gift thrown away in the break room at work. He dumped all the trail mix under a tree for the birds and rinsed the jar. I was so proud of it that I took it and immediately set about washing it. I can always adopt more fruit jars.

 

One jar at a time. You now know the way to my heart--anything straight from the trash.

 

Fruit jar story

Several years ago, a bachelor friend was talking about decluttering after he moved from larger to smaller quarters. I mentioned that if he had any fruit jars to toss, I would gladly come and pick them up, explaining that I canned. He said he did have fruit jars that he could collect and give to me.

 

I picked them up and thanked him profusely as I puzzled over what he gave me. He gave me glass jars, alright. But, they had been bought with food in the jars. hmmmm.....

 

A few months later, he asked if I needed more jars for canning. Now, I was puzzled. Finally, I asked him if they were Ball or Kerr. He explained they were the same fruit jars, just like I said I used. Now, I was puzzled.  I explained that I wanted Ball and Kerr in order to can in them.

 

This flustered him, and he spitted and sputtered that he had bought them "DOLE" with fruit in them from the produce section of the store, and that was what I asked for--fruit jars. I tried to gently tell him--canners call these Ball jars "canning jars" or "fruit jars," no matter what we intend to put in them. He was amazed, asking why we call them "fruit jars" if we are going to can green beans.

 

"We just do."

 

Yes, I know the Dole jars have other uses. I just did not want more right then. Now, I would take cases of them!

 

Your turn

Does your husband or good friend or bf  proudly bring the trash to you?  Would he be embarrassed to take something from the trash? AND, do you refer to canning jars as "fruit jars" and "canning jars"?