Eight o’clock on a Saturday morning.

Stanford is pacing back and forth. It’s been two hours past his usual morning walk and he wonders why nobody is up. He returns to his safe cavern underneath the bed and patiently waits. But as soon as he hears the rustle of the sheets, his grin stretches from pointed ear to pointed ear. He knows that his wait will be over soon and it will be a fun Saturday filled with treats, walks, and, even a trip to the park, if he’s good.

Don’t you love those mornings when you wake up at your own pace, without any rush? There are no pressing must-do’s, no phone calls, no emails, no deadlines. You get up after a restful sleep, feeling recharged and refreshed. You walk your dog, make coffee, and read the paper. You sit and savor the quiet, slow morning without a care in the world.

Those mornings rarely come nowadays but when they do embrace them and enjoy every minute of them. It’s always good to stop and take things slow. I hope you’ll find the time this weekend to do just that. Sometimes, it’s the only way I can keep myself together whenever things get too tough and too crazy.

Slow Jams is Shakirah Simley from San Francisco. She makes small-batch artisan jams, preserves and spreads using fresh and seasonal ingredients that are locally sourced from small family farms and urban growers, such as urban farms and community gardens. I particularly love her brown sugar pear butter on a lightly toasted muffin. It’s perfect with a cup of coffee and sliced fresh fruit on a slow Saturday morning.