View of Manhattan from Brooklyn Flea Market
When Friday dawns, we are both so glad to wipe the week’s sweat off our brow and settle into the expanse of the weekend. It’s a time of endless opportunity. A time to stroll to our favorite neighborhood brunch spot and refill the larder with Manhattan’s abundant, unique delicacies. Life seems so rich, unstructured and open for adventure.
It’s also a time to fight. Oh yeah.
Because, despite it all, we are still individuals who have slightly different concepts of what an ideal Saturday should be.
My Ideal Saturday
Pop up at 7:30am to the magical sound of the sleeping city. Put on a pot of coffee and venture to the front door to gather the weekend edition of the New York Times. Hubby wakes up a bit later and meets me in the living room for side-by-side reading and talk of the day ahead. New York’s news, neighborhood doings (any gossip? Love it!), and deep musing into the future of career, family, and any fantasy punctuate the crisp black and white perfection of my ideal Saturday morning.
His Ideal Saturday
Wake up whenever his body is healed and rejuvenated from the arduous week. 6am or 11am, what does it matter? Roll around, yawn, lull in and out of sleep, stretch, sigh, move one leg, find glasses, find me. He’s up and a happy camper! The day ahead? Whatever we want!
What do we want? Do we want to kick around on our own, thinking and doing things in proximity yet separately? Or do we want to walk the city in sync, enmeshed within the other? Neither one knows exactly what the other wants or needs at that very moment.
It changes. We change.
Ah yes, we’ve changed since day one of our marriage, we changed yesterday and we will be changing tomorrow.
I now let him sleep in (sometimes) and, well, he refills my cup of coffee while I read the paper. I know – he’s a great guy. He also makes the best oatmeal pancakes and that is one thing we both adore!
Some weekend ways we crafted coupledom.
Saturday ~ Ventured to the preview of an auction of works on paper at Swann Galleries. Together we studied the prints and read the catalogs, trying to listen to and learn what the other finds meaningful and visually pleasing. If we were to one day start an art collection, what would it look like? Could we compromise, come to an agreement on aesthetic values?
Sunday ~ Hopped over to DUMBO’s waterfront for the Brooklyn Flea, a small market with an array of vintage clothing, ceramics, furniture, and other delightful odds and ends. It also boasts the sweetest, melt-in-your-mouth Connecticut Lobster roll (brushed with drawn butter, not mayo) that both of us have ever laid claws on. And, get a load of those pizza margheritas handcrafted on the spot in that elegant pizza oven!
Moto Pizza's ornate, mobile wood burning oven
Succulent lobster roll from Red Hook Lobster Pound
Sitting next to each other, lobster roll and warm slices in hand, we knew we had come to one understanding of what blissful coupledom could look, smell, and taste like.
What do you do?
16 Responses to “Crafting Coupledom”
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Hah! You really captured the essence of my ideal Saturday. And that lobster roll was seriously one of the most delicious things I have ever had!
I really like how you captured you and yours hubby’s weekend! Such a wonderful and enjoyable weekend together! You guys are really soo sweet together. :) That lobster roll makes me drool! Would love to try it one day…yea one day! :) Have a lovely merry happy week and love to you!
Additional evidence that we think alike.
I’ve been wanting to thank you for your comments…lovely, all around. The similar wavelength somewhat astonishes me. Love it.
There is something to the expression, “stop and smell the roses” or in your case, “sit and taste the food”…but it all comes down to being in the moment with someone you love, appreciating the simplicity of a lovely day, doing things you both enjoy. If you are going to succumb to one lifelong habit,this is it.
oh my that lobster roll looks mouth watering! I am glad your weekend was fun!
Here are a few links from my wedding. I made everything from the center pieces, to the programs, to the favors (for 300 people) and spent the entire day of the wedding actually setting up. I also made the bracelets for my bridesmaids, and did 90% of the decor myself! I really enjoyed it though, it took my mind and nerves off the wedding. We are a very low key couple, but his mother wanted a large wedding- so thats what we had!
http://domesticatedbliss.wordpress.com/2009/09/05/wedding-month-bliss-part-2/
http://domesticatedbliss.wordpress.com/2009/09/03/wedding-month-bliss-part-ono/
I have to say your wedding looked absolutely classy. I have to admit I was a bit jealous, ok- a lot a bit jealous! I thought your dress awesome too, I guess it’s probably one of the perks living near NYC is the shopping. I of course was a bit limited to my shopping and I still have panic attacks when I watch Say Yes to the Dress. When I first envisioned my wedding it looked much more similar to yours, however as the guest list grew and our location had to change decor kept getting less and less of a budget. That’s when I stepped in with my master plan of making everything! It still makes me nervous just thinking about my ability to procrastinate everything! Can you believe it has been over a year?!? We are having our 2nd holiday season as wives!
Ahh, but that lobster roll is making me nostalgic for home (what kind of herb is on top?). Would love to hear your eerily similar experience too . . . Thanks for visiting chez moi!
@Victoria The art eye never ceases to impress.
@Shar If we are even close to being on the right page to understanding and living a beautiful marriage, I feel a victor.
@Chelsea You’re right – we’re on our second holiday already! What are your entertaining plans this year?
@Miss Canvendish Heading over to you to share the juicy details. . .
I love coupledom. Been married thirteen years and still prefer it over singledom. That pizza looks delicious! I keep popping back to gaze at it and salivate!!
Coffee, papers, pancakes, auction, market, pizza – OK, so I think you just described my perfect weekend :-)
And um, hello, lobster rolls? Why has no one in the UK invented these? Probably we have been too busy inventing deep-fried Mars Bars… Yeah, I live in the wrong country!
@Angie I’m with you on that! If you keep your eyes fixated on the pizza, I really do believe they will pop out of the screen and into your mouth! But dear, they were so crazy good and cheap for such a delight.
Liked your “about me” told in pictures. Is that really your kitchen? I need someone (pool boy!) to fan me. . .
@Lil Miss SimplyTheNest you got me laughing. I’ve been to the UK many, many times and the deep-fried Mars Bars seem to have crossed the ocean as a delicacy here. Visit any of the State Fairs and you’ll see. If you want to laugh (and think deeply) about the UK, read Sarah Lyall’s book the Anglo Files. Loved it.
http://sarahlyall.com/
To answer your question, both from my perspective and her’s (my best guess, that is).
Me: wake up, probably by 7:30am. Breakfast, shower, changed, out the door to explore, or at least stroll around the neighborhood. Find coffee before lunch. Eat lunch late. Read all afternoon. The night? The possibilities are endless….
Her: wake up because I started spooning her (I can’t sleep touching another human being). Sleep another hour after that. Late breakfast of eggs. Blankets, hot chocolate, the heat turned up past 68 for once. Something delicious at some point. Nap. No work to catch up on. Jonathan cooks far too much Italian food (yes, I’m her chef). Movie and more hot chocolate.
The best part? We love each other’s idea.
BTW – I like the tagline.
Glad to have found your blog! I live in Brooklyn but I never went over to Brooklyn Flea. That lobster roll has me convinced I need to go!
@ Jonathan You like my new tagline, realllly? Knock me over with a feather. You’re a business guru and I was totally afraid that I wasn’t capable of building my ideas into a brand. Just another bit of magic coming from being the Clueless Crafter, eh?
Like your cozy mornings, especially that she likes the heat high and being wrapped up. My hubby encases me in our down comforter before he leaves for work, calling me a human taco. Weird, but cute!
Keep those lovely mornings up AND cooking for her. She’ll never stop loving.
@Pat Go this Sunday. The Flea ends November 22nd, I believe and that Lobsta roll(that’s how Gloucesterites (MA) say it) is not to be missed. Let me know how you like it.
Ha, that is so funny!! At least you have the oatmeal pancakes… And the refills, what can I say? Perfect! :D A perfect Saturday would include sun, hubby, great lunch, stroll in Prospect or Central (or any) Park, window shopping and finishing it off with a good enough afternoon movie before heading home for some fabulous dinner of sorts.
Love this blog! Thanks for dropping by on mine too.