AUGUST 1st A MONTH OF GRATITUDE: I’m grateful for locally sourced and roasted coffee and lazy Sundays at home
AUGUST 2nd A MONTH OF GRATITUDE: I will always be grateful for being able to swim here in this gorgeous garden pool two or three times a week for the last four years. Even during the monsoon, we manage to dodge the showers and keep up our swimming routine; sometimes actually swimming in the rain, which I love
AUGUST 3rd A MONTH OF GRATITUDE: I’m grateful for the Buddhist culture, in which we live. These are the youngest monks I’ve spotted in Kep captured on their alms walk this morning as we walked back from the market. In these times more and more boys are turning up at the pagodas and any who are in robes and carrying their bowls, like these two, will always receive something from local traders and those passing by. No matter how little they have something will always be offered in exchange for a prayer. When we first saw these two a woman had stopped on her bicycle to offer money
AUGUST 4th A MONTH OF GRATITUDE: I’m grateful for the health professionals who are putting themselves at risk to keep us safe and administering vaccines. We are both full vaccinated as of this morning
AUGUST 5th A MONTH OF GRATITUDE: I’m extremely grateful for my little, big sister, who holds our whole family together. Although I haven’t seen her in over 3 years, - we all know why- this photo was taken today by her adorable granddaughter Elle, who is just five years old. She was at gran’s house and obviously knows how much I miss her even though we message or chat almost every day, so photo credit goes to Elle and I have her permission to post this
AUGUST 6th A MONTH OF GRATITUDE: I’m grateful that mountain vistas and newly planted rice paddies are just a bike ride away and that I can now ride to appreciate them. This morning’s 27-kilometer ride even gave us some blue skies and sunshine and we made it home before the rain
AUGUST 7th A MONTH OF GRATITUDE: I’m grateful for the fresh mostly local produce available in Kep Market
AUGUST 8th A MONTH OF GRATITUDE: I’m grateful for the fragrant flowers that bloom in our garden and sometimes even get cut for display indoors. This purchase was inspired by the owner of the local nursery giving me a cut flower. Great marketing strategy as I smelt it for several days on the table and course went back to buy not one but three. Two were gifts. It’s a Cuban Ginger, that has now been divided so many times there are four huge pots of it
AUGUST 9th A MONTH OF GRATITUDE: I’m extremely grateful for the long-term visa that enables us to live the kind of retired life we always wanted to here in Cambodia
AUGUST 10th A MONTH OF GRATITUDE: I’m grateful for the presence of the little monks of Kep in our lives. Although it is not possible to teach them at the moment, this was taken in one of their last lessons last month and they are by far the blessing of our lives here
AUGUST 11th A MONTH OF GRATITUDE: Today I’m grateful for this little Khmer mate who loves to get in the pool with us and made me laugh and play with him, now that there are no other children around. Thanks to Ian for snapping this shot
AUGUST 12th A MONTH OF GRATITUDE: I’m ever grateful for the ocean- my go to place for calm and peace of mind. After years of living in the mountains, (I guess it’s OK to refer to the Himalayas as the mountains) the draw of Kep for me as an Aussie, was the ocean but with a backdrop of mountains we have the best of both worlds, so I guess it’s actually Kep that I’m grateful for
AUGUST 13th A MONTH OF GRATITUDE: One of my pet peeves in Cambodia is the garbage that is strewn everywhere, so I’m grateful to have received a copy of this children’s book about the environmental impact of rubbish and effective strategies for taking personal responsibility for our own garbage. We will definitely be donating it to the Abbot so that a literate older monk can read it to the little monks of Kep and reinforce the behaviour we have been attempting to initiate at the pagoda.
The illustrations are just gorgeous too so I had to include this one
AUGUST 14th A MONTH OF GRATITUDE: I’m grateful for the many memories of travelling and hopeful that it will become possible again soon
AUGUST 15th A MONTH OF GRATITUDE: I’m grateful we both love to cook and almost everything we eat is prepared from scratch by us. Tonight’s dinner …..
AUGUST 16th A MONTH OF GRATITUDE: I’m grateful for books- the escape, entertainment, information, insights and inspiration they provide. Currently mostly reading digitally but this binge on Jackie French was initiated by a purchase of a second-hand copy of a paperback of the first in a series. I’m now in book 8 and dreading that there is only one more left after this
AUGUST 17th A MONTH OF GRATITUDE: I’m grateful for the years I spent studying Chinese independently and the fact that I periodically return to it and still enjoy it. Currently using an online app but as always, I love the writing and a real dictionary to supplement the material
AUGUST 18th A MONTH OF GRATITUDE: I’m grateful for EMS services. After more than a year and a half with no postal service between Australia and Cambodia I finally bit the bullet and sent this gift to my sister just over a week ago. Despite being told it might take a month to get there, she received it yesterday, which was only eight days later. There were this angel wing ring and matching earrings in the small package with a beautiful quote……
“Angel wings are a powerful symbol of protection, courage and harmony. They can give us strength to rise above any negativity and failures in life and come out stronger than before”
AUGUST 19th A MONTH OF GRATITUDE: Today is world photography day and as I’m grateful for photography, I have selected a favourite shot from my archives. I’m thankful for the memories held in photos, the inspiration of the PAD challenge and the imagery, inspiration, significance and creativity of the images we are so easily able to view and share in this era of social media
AUGUST 20th A MONTH OF GRATITUDE: Today I’m more grateful than ever for the mangroves, which are growing and expanding along sections of the coastline here, in Kep. I have just recently discovered that they are better than tropical forests for their positive impacts. “Mangroves serve as an ecological bulwark with the ability - greater than tropical forests, to capture carbon dioxide, stop coastal erosion, give shelter and sustainable sustenance to animal species, provide food for local communities and filter the ocean waters, protecting the adjacent crops.”
AUGUST 21st A MONTH OF GRATITUDE: I’m grateful for afternoon treats at home after swimming
*This shot was selected for the fabulous four on the day it was taken and posted
AUGUST 22nd A MONTH OF GRATITUDE: Today I’m grateful for the skills of Koi, who took this coffee table with a cracked glass top and fashioned a bamboo replacement surface. More than ever I’m grateful for repairs, repurposing and revitalizing of household items rather than replacing them. I think it’s better than the original and more durable too
AUGUST 23rd A MONTH OF GRATITUDE: I’m grateful that yesterday a new bud appeared on the lotus, which had been dormant for about two months
AUGUST 24th A MONTH OF GRATITUDE: I’m grateful for my trusty old second-hand bicycle and that I can ride it again after my accident. It’s my main means of transport and great for the environment, my health and my budget. Win, win, win
AUGUST 25th A MONTH OF GRATITUDE: Today I’m grateful for Hugo’s massage, Physio treatments, advice and exercises for the last seven months and the amount of progress that has occurred
AUGUST 26th A MONTH OF GRATITUDE: Today I’m grateful for a new haircut and a hairdresser who is bilingual and listens. I might be feeling decidedly second-hand but a fresh new image helps. August selfie sorted
AUGUST 27th A MONTH OF GRATITUDE: Today I’m grateful for our friend and regular tuk tuk driver, who always arrives on time, always waits patiently for us and always smiles
AUGUST 27th A MONTH OF GRATITUDE: I’m grateful for little reminders of our time in Bhutan scattered all over our house
AUGUST 29th A MONTH OF GRATITUDE: Today I’m grateful for the place we have called home for almost four years and the simple quiet life we get to lead here, given the turmoil of the last year and a half
AUGUST 30th A MONTH OF GRATITUDE: I will be forever grateful for the many friends I have scattered all over the world
AUGUST 31st A MONTH OF GRATITUDE: In the tradition of saving the best ‘til last, for the last 38 years I have been exceedingly grateful that Ian has been my soul mate, my lover, my fellow adventurer, my sounding board, my co-teacher, my travelling companion, my co-conspirator, my shoulder to
cry on, my biggest fan, my support, my partner in crime and so much more. I simply can’t imagine life without him
THE PROMPTS
