1. Would you like to come across a county fair on a lovely day, with giant pumpkins, blue ribbons, and all the ice cream you can eat, or would you rather discover a folk music festival on an enchanted summer evening, with a blanket for the grass and a sky full of stars?
2. Would you like to have exquisite handwriting bordering on an art form, or would you rather have the beautiful ability to express yourself through sign language?
3. Would you like to have an old greenhouse with that wonderful earthy, growing smell inside and a cool stone floor with bits of moss here and there, or would you like to have a cobblestone courtyard with an ancient cistern, one that connects to an endless spring of fresh, sparkling water?
4. Would you like to own a flock of fat, gossipy hens and therefore a daily source of fresh eggs, or would you rather own a sweet Jersey cow with big brown eyes and therefore a daily source of creamy milk? Either way, you get the barn and meadow to properly care for your new pets.
5. Pick one of the following summers with a best friend:
a) you are both ten years old and every day is full of adventure. There is a creek to explore and fish in, a nearby lake, a canoe, a warm sun, forts to build, frogs to catch, a country store with an ice cream counter and penny candies, a campfire, and sleepovers out beneath the stars. It is a classic childhood summer filled with innocence, laughter, discovery and fun.
b) you are both nineteen years old and have a free summer to backpack across Europe. Everything you see is something you'll remember forever. There are train rides, markets, sorbets, breads, chocolates, yogurts, cheeses, villas, ancient cathedrals, pristine lakes, and one completely comfortable, neverending conversation between you and your friend.
Wishing you a lovely Memorial Day weekend...