Spinster

I love weekends, particularly Saturday mornings. I’m usually not hungover cause I don’t really like going out on Fridays. I’m tired from work or school or whatever, and I just want to chill and relax and watch tv and knit, which is exactly what I did this Friday. I love waking up on Saturday morning, all refreshed and happy, and having the whole weekend ahead of me.

The Globe and Mail weekend edition comes out on Saturday, so I can hang out with a cup of coffee or three and read all of the foofy shit I don’t get to read during the week — the Style section in particular is perfect Saturday/Sunday morning reading. Do you care about capris? No? Are you sure? That section has a way of making me feel like I do, actually, give a shit about the in length of pants this season. Love it.

And then there’s the food. Yesterday I made chocolate chip banana pancakes with fresh strawberries sliced on top and maple syrup. (We’re going to overlook the fact that I think that my syrup has mold in it.) I’m making potato hash with dill and goat cheese today, and I’m cooking the potatoes and listening to the Talking Heads as I write this.

I love these slow moments, when I can cook leisurely and listen to music and enjoy a beverage (dinner cooking = wine or beer, breakfast cooking = coffee or tea), and I’m not pressed for time at all. Pretty sure that these are the moments that make for a contented life — cooking something from scratch, singing loudly and poorly all the while; or laughing with a friend over something inane; or taking a long walk for no real reason; or settling in with a good book and a glass of wine. The mediterranean lifestyle has always appealed to me — they seem to understand that life doesn’t always have to be fast and frenetic to be happy and productive; in fact, it’s probably the opposite.

One thing that I hate about the United States is that there’s no room for leisure. Americans are among the hardest-working people in the world and our productivity is mainly for naught. Or, I suppose, not for naught, because our efforts are destroying cultures and ecosystems all over the world. But when it comes to contentment and fulfillment, I wouldn’t say that Americans are the forerunners worldwide. How could we be? We’re too busy buying bigger better televisions and houses and cars to actually enjoy the small moments of life that actually matter.

Speaking of which, my hash is ready and there are at least two sections of the paper that I haven’t read yet.