In the summer we are quick to accept invitations to weekend in the country:  The Hamptons, The Adirondacks, The Catskills, The Poconos -- we love them all.  But being a house guest is work.  From charming conversation to salad making to extreme tidiness, good guesting requires no small amount of discrete discipline. And in case we aren't quite charming/chopping/tidy enough, we always bring something useful and beautiful for our hosts.