Christmas Season

The hints are getting less subtle now. They started out innocently enough a few weeks ago with a conversation with one of her friends...that's just a little too loud..."I really loved a watch Rick I saw at Rich's (department store) last week".....Or perhaps (to me) "that turquoise sweater looks so good on her...do you think that color would look good on me?"....a silent HINT HINT.
Today there was a catalog by the computer left open to page 33, the corner was turned down with the item number circled and the word "small" scribbled in the margin. I pretend not to notice.
Soon the hints will be blatant......."ARE YOU GETTING ME THE BOOTS!!!!????" What boots? I say, as if I had just fallen off the turnip truck.
Fact is, I learned a long time ago not to leave Christmas presents up to chance. I'm good at a lot of things but I'd have better luck translating hieroglyphics to Mandarin Chinese than trying to guess what she wants for Christmas. I take her clues and I get her what she wants with a few surprises. Thankfully she does me the same way.
We don't spend a lot of money on each other. Some clothes, a CD or two, maybe a power tool, and a gift certificate to our favorite store. We spend most of or money on our nieces and nephews. We have a bunch of them and we get them nice things. We don't buy toys but we buy books, globes, games, art supplies or musical instruments. Usually it's not the first gift they turn to on Christmas Eve, but they are gifts they grow in to......they often keep the gifts until they are grown....long after the plastic toys are in a landfill some where.
I've got to run now, there's a sweater at Bloomingdales Online with her name written on it.