In the Holiday Gift Forecast? Brain Freeze.

What other creatures of her black-and-white phase are still arriving?

"Salt and pepper shakers, banks, candleholders, and coffee cups," she says.

So what kind of gifts does she like to give that reflect the fact -- even the hope -- that people change?

"Little improvement projects," she replies. "If they're going to chain restaurants, you give them a gift certificate to some wonderful place with a great chef and hope they notice the difference. Elevate their sights."

There are times, however, when elevating the sights of someone you've known for decades can take strange turns.

One man who considers himself a committed and outspoken pacifist recalls the Christmas as he approached his 40th birthday in which his father gave him a revolver with adjustable front and rear sights. "You know, for the birthday of the Prince of Peace and all that," he says.

Of course, if you know the person well enough, you can always try for the magnificent recovery. Consider the case of the Fort Washington man who, early in his marriage, had the wit to insist to his wife that she was so svelte and shapely that she could not possibly have reason to interpret his Christmas present as an insult.

What had he given her?

Bathroom scales.