Lockdown in Paradise

We had a gap of one year in rented accommodation after leaving Edinburgh before we found our Retreat Space.  With beautiful views and lovely local walks we were lucky to be out of the city during lockdown.

Yet shamefully, guiltily I felt discontent.  I keenly felt a lack of purpose.  I was enthusiastic about all the tasks that would need doing once we had our place, yet couldn't do them.  I sat watching the neighbours catching up on DIY and enjoying gardening but in a rented house we couldn't really do much.  At the start I really enjoyed walking, but after a while even that tailed off; something inside seemed to say “do something useful!”  Of course I could have found volunteering but at any moment I felt that surely we would find a place soon.

We saw some beautiful houses and tried to buy a few...