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- 22 -Bertie picked me up Monday morning for our pre-Christmas procrastinator’s power shopping spree. I hadn’t bought a thing for anyone. If it weren’t for Mother, I wouldn’t even have a Christmas tree—albeit white and glittery. I had plans to convince George to accompany me in the woods to cut down a real tree, which according to Mother would be relegated to the porch.
Bertie said she started her shopping early, but still had plenty of panic shopping to do, as her family was enormous, extended, and competitive in the gift-giving area. While small families may be anti-climactic, we aren’t forced to buy tacky gifts for cousins, uncles, or assorted stepfamily members. I only had Mother (impossible), George (formerly easy, now difficult), and Bertie’s two boys, Jeffie and Robby (easy
