"Would you rather live in the summer or the country?"

 That is the question my sweet grandpa used to ask when I was a little girl and would climb up on his knee for a bounce. I'm certain it was the perplexed look on my face that would make him smile and raise his grey bushy eyebrows at me while he waited for my answer. I remember considering his question very carefully and weighing the advantages and disadvantages of both, unsure of which would be the best answer. In the end I usually replied, "The summer," at which he would nod and smile broadly, making me feel as if I had answered correctly and would somehow help him make his own choice between the two.

My sweet grandpa has long since passed on, but I still sometimes think about his question and wonder what he would say if I would greedily answer, "Both!"

I'm not sure why, but there is something about the sight of my boys in blue jeans, leather gloves, and work boots (which my kids call "pig boots" because we bought them the summer we raised 4-H pigs)

 that just makes me smile. 

So yes, I would rather live in the summer AND the country.