The client who has the lower rate probably won't be asking -- you might raise that rate, too. If the client with the higher rate was a referral, chances are the friend revealed your rate, which you'll find out if you quote a different (higher, but not a lot higher) one. So you can explain your rates go up periodically, and then, say, describe your recent continuing education or professional honors etc. -- some specialized thing that makes you different from other fine gardeners. (I've observed colleagues leverage high-profile volunteer gigs this way -- the pro bono stuff gets them name recognition, which gets them more referrals, which enables them to charge more...) If the client with a higher rate happens to have a good friend who is one of your other clients, same thing: rates go up periodically, they're still getting a good deal because (cite your skills, knowledge, etc.) and (cite your projects, pro bonos, awards, etc.). Jobs are different, too. I've charged more for steep gardens with poison oak (where I sprained an ankle on the loose steps) than for level sites where it was easier to haul things around. I've heard the same kind of anecdote as INK, where someone tries to set the price too high to force the client to say no, and instead gets the job. The one I heard was a photog, tired of traveling, who quoted what he thought was an absurdly high rate for an annual report for a bank in Asia. The bank had wanted a conservative, dull report, with photos of the suits. The photog said, if I were to do this, I'd take pix of the people in native costumes at specified sites all over the country, and not only my high rate but also first-class travel and accommodations and a big expense account. On the one hand, he was thinking, this would make it worth doing and be sort of a vacation, but on the other he went so overboard that he thought, there's no way they'd go for this. They did. (One of Rick "Day in the Life of..." Smolan's stories.) The art is to set your rate so you can be selective and do mostly jobs you love for people you like.

Oh yes, TOS. My youngest DNephew's LDs are still 'non-specified.' I had him (and the middle brother, oldest is autistic and was at a fine montessori elem school) at a wonderful Christian school where he was in tiny classes and did very well for K. His mom pulled both he and his brother out, put them in separate schools - middle in private, him in public but not the same as the oldest. So the three boys were in three different schools. It was an odd move, but she wanted to exert her control, I guess. Anyway, the rational was that the youngest needed the public school system's ESE classes. The truth: ESE wasn't even available for his grade (entering first), the class he was in didn't have a permanent teacher (she was ill, they had a multitude of subs who must have thought - he's having a bad day), and later, in the ESE program, the teacher just didn't care. The tutor I took him to weekly knew her from teaching in the past and offered to call her to see how we could help him more, etc. The tutor was appalled the next week. She said, "I talked to Tina (teacher) and she just isn't the same, caring individual I remembered. She kept going off on how sweet and handsome he is, but I couldn't get anywhere else. When I pressed she said that she's been doing this too long and now realizes she just can't help everyone!" We were so upset. Today, he's going to be a So. in H.S. I think my newly turned 7 y.o. reads better - honestly. It's sad, but true. They've pushed him through, year after year, and it's just pitiful. This "no student is left behind" may sound good, but is it? Are they all passed regardless? Is anyone really trying to help these kids at all or are they just biding their time til retirement? On our monthly spreadsheet DH just gave me at the couselor's advice, that tuition bill is huge for our boys. But, after seeing what I've seen w/ my DNephews, I guess it's one thing we can't afford to do w/o. Where are you if you don't mind? D

Murder on the Orient Express, Agatha Christie (Too easy and obvious, maybe.)

Just got back from vacation tonight and catching up on some reading. Alisande, thank you for the links--I will review them closely. Update on my friend--Her neurologist returned from vacation and ran some more tests. They were afraid she had something called NMO (I think?) which is a horrible form of a degenerative disease similar to MS that attacks your optic nerve and causes blindness and can also cause paralysis of the limbs. Thankfully, she did not have this. They thought she might have it because they saw some possible lesions on her chest CT so they had to do a cervical CT. They did a spinal tap on Wednesday, and now she is suffering from a spinal headache. If she is not better tomorrow, they will do a blood patch which she is not happy about. I was afraid this would happen. I do know that they can diagnose lyme with a spinal tap, but hopefully they are looking for that. I was also worried this could be lyme disease because we have a lot of ticks in Wisconsin, a lot of lyme disease, and she spends a lot of time outdoors. The saga continues:( Her symptoms have not progressed, though, so that is one good thing!