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There's this website called Apartment Therapy. It's a design blog from les Etats-Unis, and I've become moderately obsessed with it - you could, perhaps, call it my new temporary obsession.

Twice a year this blog hosts "The Cure", and right now we are currently at the end of Week 2 of the Fall Cure. The idea here, is that many of us live in sick homes that need to be cured. Not literally sick (though they could be), but more like sick as in a state of dischord - disorganized, disclean, disharmonious. The goal of The Cure is to change all that through a guided 8 week process. Each week focuses on one room or area of the house and there are certain tasks such as buying fresh flowers, taking one thing out of your apartment, and defining your style. 

I've been all up in it (as the kids say) and enjoying myself. I've had some extra time away from work and have spent my days cleaning kitchen cupboards, reorganizing furniture, visiting the market, and taking cast-offs to Value Village (two trips to date). 

It's been fun. But this time, just like every other time I've gotten obsessed with interior stuff, I always get the nagging thought of how ridiculous this all is. How spoiled am I that I get to think about new curtains? That my task for the day is to get matching hangers? Who cares! I know it's important to take care of the places where we live for our own well being, but it's such a unique Western problem... Most of the world can't have a drink of water and I'm going out for a new Brita pitcher. 

How bizarre is it that the new wave in decorating shows is teaching us how to simplify and value what we have? Why do we need to be taught that? It goes hand in hand with this new recession business. Suddenly the boom is over and we have to start thinking like our grandparents did - learn how to be more self-sufficient, how to be stewards of our environment, figure out how we can contribute. It's about doing for ourselves to help the greater good.

I for one am kind of glad we're in an economic bust. I always find it interesting how we react to large scale change, it's usually predictable but still fun to watch (ask me if I'm still glad once the government cuts funding for my non-profit job, then I'll likely be singing a different tune). 

Who else will be relieved once that American election is finally done? It's been going on for soooo long... is it all necessary? I can't ignore it anymore like I was trying to near the beginning. It's saturated everything everywhere and youcantavoidit. I'd just like to know who wins and go from there, all this drawn-out preamble stuff is redonculous.