It’s not the piles per se that bring me joy. They fit into this week’s theme of joy only in the sense that they are testimony to a life that has become free of the compulsion to be a diligent Hausfrau.

I have piles in the sink more often than not. Easily justified by the fact that you should not waste water and electricity on a half-full dishwasher, and you might as well load it only if the sink is full…..

I have piles of shoes at the kitchen door, easily explained by the need for bringing out the dogs at unanticipated times day or night.

I have piles of laundry waiting to be ironed and folded  (I spare you the sight) – easily justified by the fact that I find ironing quite therapeutic, and so like to do it for drawn-out sessions.

I have piles in the yard, from weeding, or pruning, or other clean-up activities and am often too stiff or tired to pick them up after I did all the work that produced them in the first place.

The joy lies in the freedom just to leave them be – no bending to social control issues of what would the neighbors think (we are blessed with terrific ones.) No responding to inner impulses of a deeply ingrained sense of duty. No compulsion towards neatness, just glorious choice to spend my time on what matters to me more than getting rid of piles…… as, for example, producing art, writing blogs, reading or amusing myself with this singing wonder:

http://www.broadwayworld.com/videoplay/VIDEO-Randy-Rainbow-Is-Putin-on-the-Ritz-in-Latest-Song-Parody-20170306