The upstairs straightened up surprisingly quickly. It is very odd how much progress you can make without quite realizing it, or believing it.... I still FEEL totally overwhelmed by this huge house but the reality is, all the stuff we cleared out around the time of the fire, and since, really HAS made a difference.
Apparently I will have to re-program my mind about how much time housework requires, and stop using that overwhelmed feeling to keep me from getting at it.