Nothing like Mother Nature to remind you what's important. I got a memo from the old girl just this morning. After endless weeks of rain, flooding and the kind of dampness usually associated with Noah, the sun broke out and the morning was clear, bright and cool as James Dean.

It was a glorious event. Instead of roaring angrily, the creek behind the house was back to its peaceful, bubbly chatter. Birds chirped in joyous abandon, the grass peeked shyly from its leafy cover, and the world seemed genuinely at peace. I took a moment to savor the scene, then wandered back inside to grab a tablet to record some random thoughts. Big mistake. Mostly because I had forgotten to turn off the TV, and I was assaulted with a rude reminder that no matter how good things seem to be going, evil always lurks around the corner.

I shuddered as a loud-mouthed TV announcer reminded me that instead of daydreaming about upcoming family reunions and festive Thanksgiving feasts, I should be focused on the really important stuff ... Christmas shopping. Yuk. I hoped that since the economy is still in the tank and unemployment remains as high as a diehard hippie, the annual retail orgy would be subdued this year, if not buried under all the bad news. Apparently not.

Halloween is over, and now the sales spooks are out of the closet and hawking their wares and reminding us that Christmas Day is coming, and nothing says "Happy Birthday, Jesus" like bruising the bottom line of your credit card account.

Since I'm still insecure enough to believe that the only way to show love is to spend money, I have to start thinking about it. The only question is what to buy for those I love. The kids will be easy. My daughter is a newlywed, and I figure the post-marriage glow will still be strong enough at Christmas that she'll gladly settle for a nice new coffee maker. My son has two kids under age three. What a snap. A few toys for the tots and a day of complimentary babysitting will make me look like a saint. The cats aren't a problem, either. Several nights in the heated indoor laundry room when the temperature dips below freezing, and they'll think I'm Santa himself.

But my sweet wife deserves better. Which means I need to get in that gift-giving mindset and pay more attention to TV ads pitching stuff that will "show her how much you really care." I tried to do that last summer when I bought a raccoon trap to improve the evening outdoor ambiance, which was increasingly threatened by an invasion of masked bandits who ate the cat food as fast as I could put it out. Even while I was watching. Instead of a 'coon, I caught a neighbor's cat. My wife wasn't impressed. I wasn't, either. And she still doesn't realize

the lumber I've left on the deck for months is actually the start of a new screened porch. Tying a bow to a 2-by-4 won't improve that situation. She loves tea and all things associated with drinking and brewing that classic beverage, but she has so much tea stuff that buying a tea gift puts me at risk of getting something she already has. That would make me look like I wasn't paying attention. Too risky.

Thank goodness I've got plenty of time to work the problem. And I plan to get busy and get it right. I'm determined that come Christmas morning, my sweetie won't have to settle for a brand new snuggy.

Of course, if they come in pink ...

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