In our house, Saturdays are marked by a general slowing of the pace, time spent relaxing, nicer food, a couple of glasses of wine with dinner, and an attempt at the weekend crossword.
We buy two newspapers; a luxury, but worth it for marital harmony. Previous attempts to do the crossword together ended with gritted teeth. Derek is too fast for me and inevitably answered many more clues than I did. I trailed behind. When I triumphantly announced an answer, he was already ten steps ahead of me. The cost of the extra newspaper is offset by the domestic equilibrium achieved by each working at our own pace, in our different ways. Derek is a mine of general knowledge; and works quickly, logically and systematically. I am neither a mine of general knowledge, nor quick, nor logical, but I enjoy answering what I can.
Once we have both squeezed the crossword dry individually, we confer. This is the best bit. We spend a peaceful half hour together running through the crossword, Derek supplying many answers I have been unable to find, me (very) occasionally supplying an answer for him.
The crossword is one of those seemingly unimportant habits that add up with other, similar small treats, or times spent together, that combine to make the weekend feel so different from the week.