Are you ready to return to the world? This is the question we are asking us ourselves here at The Cliffs. At the end of this last 11 week lockdown (Locky 6.2) we now have the unenviable record of having lived in the longest lockdown in the world.
The mortality in Australia rate when compared with the rest of the world is at the lower end of the scale; 34th from the bottom out of 155 countries for the death's due to COVID on a per-capita basis. Depending on your view we have been protected from death on a major scale and inappropriately imprisoned and controlled. Either way, we are now told that this is over.
As was said in the early days... we are all on the same sea but we are not all in the same boat. Our COVID sea in secluded Shoreham and our boat at The Cliffs turned out in a way we could have never imagined when we arrived here last February. We have been truly blessed.
Our 5k circle enabled us to walk along the beach every day, and swim whenever we wanted. Our daily routine when it was not raining or excessively windy included; 11.00am coffee on the deck by Blue Wren, 1.00pm lunch on the deck by Blue Wren, 3.30 afternoon tea on the table under the tree. Our cancelled holiday was replaced with the purchase of a couple of electric bikes and we hit the streets to discover our local area. Our lack of face to face visits with family and friends, we replaced with phone calls, cards, letters, zoom parties, dinners, teas and coffees, wine o'clock, gin with the profs, and the weekly UK chinwag and Saturday Quiz competition.
We fully embraced; wearing slippers and gumboots, joggers, PJs, gardening trousers, with smart tops, sliding into early meetings from bed, weekly hair washing, bi-weekly showers, lightly touched up zoom, the highlight of the weekly shop (on a Thursday to take advantage of the 5% seniors discount at the local IGA), dinner on the couch with SBS news, the selection of the movie for Film Friday to be served with a Fish Friday dinner and the recently added cocktail of the week. Not forgetting the weekly menu plan; meatless Monday, roast reprieve on a Tuesday, the Sunday roast, pie and soup Saturday. Ted Lasso. Did we mention Ted Lasso? Still being able to work from home even though the retreat was closed. Being able to start, continue and graduate with a Grad Dip all through lockdown.
There has been so much to treasure and now facing a return to the world, so much that we will miss of this life. It has all come as a bit of a sudden jolt to our reality. Will we really be out of this for ever? Will we still fit into our 'normal' clothes? Will we be able to wear shoes for a whole day and still stand? Will our bodies cope with the additional washing that we will need to be acceptable in public? Will people still want to come and stay here? Time will tell.
Our pay it forward fund has grown significantly during the year due to donations and income we have been fortunate to receive. We would like to encourage everyone who needs the experience of a break in this beautiful place, particularly if this may be a financial challenge, to please give us a call.
PLEASE NOTE
Due to the current directives from the Chief Health Officer (thank you Brett) and our support for those challenged by disability and immune deficiency in our vicinity we will currently only be accepting guests who are double vaccinated and willing to wear masks when in the company of others.