Perpetual Projects

It is break time from my Monday morning cleaning. I like to clean...gives me quiet time to think. Now, that sometimes can be dangerous. Those thoughts brought forth painting two kids rooms for the fourth time, while mine has yet to finish the second coat (and I fear the paint color is discontinued!)Our home is now about 25 years old (little Doran was born when the block walls were going up). We have had many incarnations of our yard: we had the "heavenly bamboo and mock orange" phase (plants couldn't survive the heat on the South side of the house). We had a large and lovely lawn, but our three older boys couldn't wait to move out, marry, etc. (I wonder if it was that lawn???) Now, it is pure and simple granite and low shedding trees and bushes out front, and just a small patch of lawn out back (little Doran mows in exchange for storing his lawn business equipment here.)But, we have over an acre of land, and we have been busy for years (and it seems to be ages) fixing up and working on it. We had a pool put in. We ourselves have poured concrete, put in a pretty great playground (need more grandkids to play on it, though - hint hint to Ethan and little Doran), added a rock covered fireplace and lower courtyard with wall (Dee did this ALL - with Nate to help - laid block, gathered rock, rocked the outside, etc.) Nathan is now stucco-ing the walls - built a shed (man tool cave), half an outdoor kitchen (granite is placed, it is plumbed, just needs sink hole cut and installed and electric, stucco and paint).
It is looking good...lots better than when the big kids were small...but it has been going for so long. I find myself putting off anything fun, because, I figure, if we just get THIS done, and don't put the money into "fun", we will be done. But, we never seem to be done. Dee calls it "scope creep". But how far, and for how long, do we keep letting it creep? We wanted it done when Dee was 50...he will be 52 in April. We bought plants to begin landscaping the courtyard. Dee said that later we will add the waterfall and pergola. It sounds lovely, but will it ever end....