Back to work, if I can get up to it.

I have been trying very hard to motivate myself. Usually, I am prone to procrastination for a short time and can be preoccupied with nice weather, playing with my daughter, or any number of other things but this is different. A funk has settled over the Tiny Bungalow and it is unlike any funk I’ve been in before. I know the cause: it’s the economy, stupid. I don't think I'm alone here. Is anyone onyone else experiencing DIY paralysis in the wake of the recession?

Last fall, we were all excited to start a series of jobs: get some re-wiring done, set the groundwork for upstairs painting and wood refinishing. It was all very exciting, until the layoffs began. We’ve gone through three excruciating rounds. I, luckily, still have a job. For a whole myriad of reasons, I don’t feel so lucky. It is partly because they cut my pay, partly because I have to sit and look at empty desks all day but mostly because of the angst over the next round of firings.

I am shocked by how much this work stuff seems to have crept into my work at home. I used to find refuge in the house work but now, plagued by concerns that begin with the thought of not spending too much, it has become something that I sort of dread.

In the meantime, while I wait for the cloud to pass, I have tried to pinpoint projects around the house that I can do and not spend any money. The painting and sexy stuff in the main living spaces will have to wait and so will the dreams of any of the considerable work I was considering in terms of an addition. I’ve re-organized closets, cleaned and de-cluttered, and this weekend, I started stripping the door to the bedroom closet.

I thought this last project was a huge step to DIY recovery. Maybe if I accomplish something on the house, without expenditure, I’ll feel a bit better. I’ll let you know how it goes in another few weeks.