So, I have a little problem.  I know I’m not the only one.  Tolle would say that it’s my ego talking, not me.  Little comfort to my dear husband!

My little problem is that I am never content.  I always have to have something to look forward to.  I should say that I am extremely content with the “big stuff” in my life as it is–I don’t “need” anything to make me happy (for example, another baby, a new house, a new job.)  I am truly happy in the moment. 

But my mind always seems to need the preoccupation of looking forward to something.  Now that the anticipation of Disney is over and I’ve had a week to come down off the trip, my mind is already busy conjuring up “the next thing.”  If the next thing isn’t a trip, it invariably becomes a new house project. 

Poor poor poor poor Zan.  Now that I’m not working, I have more time than ever to think…and dream.

“Hey Honey, I’ve been thinking…”

*sigh*  “Oh, no.”

Yep…that’s usually how the story starts.  And before you know it we’re heading off to Lowe’s.  A friend of mine used to say, “It all starts with a throw pillow.” 

So let me tell you about the “next thing.”  Mister Baby Boy has discovered the Big Outdoors.  However, Mister Baby Boy gives Mommy heart attacks because he wants to be running around very unsteadily on the blacktopped driveway, trying to make baskets in the way-too-tall-for-him basketball hoop.  He is not satisfied to play with the toddler-sized basketball hoop in the yard.  Oh, no…he must be Danger Boy (he has his own theme song, by the way—but that’s a story for another day) and nearly cracks his handsome little skull on the concrete as he looks up to the basket which is so high that he loses his balance and falls backwards. 

So, I say to myself, “Now, if we had a big deck off the back of the house, I could gate off the stairs, and sit outside and let Mister play on the deck with a bunch of toys, and watch the girls without having to chase him around all summer long.”  Some chasing, good.  All chasing, bad.

Ergo, “Honey, I’ve been thinking.”

“Oh, no.”

So we’ve spent the last two days looking, measuring, researching.  An easy do-it-yourself weekend project!  *tee*hee*hee* 

Relatively inexpensive!  *tee*hee*hee*

And somehow, a very simple, square, 20×20 deck has become this elaborate extension with a tree coming up through the middle of it.  And who wants plain old deck flooring?  Wouldn’t a herringbone pattern look nice?  And what about those wood balusters?  Ew!  Boring!  I’m thinking THESE would be nice.

And who wants plain old post covers?  Wouldn’t copper be great?  Or, ooooo, what about these????

And a brand new deck definitely needs a brand new grill!  And did somebody say screening?  Screening would be nice.  And…..*sigh*

See?  I told you, I have a problem. 

But I think Zan has an even bigger one.

🙂