JJJ,
I'm kinda a neat freak myself. I do housework every single day. I hate piles of stuff laying around - although I do have a room upstairs that is my "catch all". I'm pretty orgranized and live by the motto that everything has a place. I also try and live by the addage that if it doesn't have a home in my house, it isn't coming in! Everything has it's place..........
There is something very gratifying, for me, to settling down in the evening in a clutter-free enviornment.
Now, I must also say that I grew up in a very clean and organized home. My mother told me, when I was out on my own, two things. One, it's always easier to touch something once than touch it twice. In other words, put it where it belongs while it's in your hand rather than setting it down and coming back for it later. I've found that, in the long run, this saves so much time.
The other thing she told me was never to leave dirty dishes in the sink or your bed unmade when you leave the house. She said that if, on the way home, you run across an old friend, you should never be embarrassed to ask them over.
As much as I don't want to be my mother, I find those lessons hard to leave behind!
Sharon