Words of Thanks 6 April 2017

A few different bits and pieces in tonight's post... Enjoy!

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The Centenary Quilt continues to tour with the Spirit of the ANZAC Centenary Tour.  Right now it is in Newcastle.  Next stop is Sydney.  You can check it out on their website. 

www.spiritofanzac.gov.au/

Charis, who used to come and help me out before she moved location in Sydney, went to see the exhibition recently and sent me the following photo...

And now for our lovely messages... first this which was already shared on Facebook but I am sharing it here as some of you do not see Facebook.

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Lying on my newly arrived quilt looking over your fabulous work - well done to you all! And a big thank you

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And then there is this message that I received from Lynda from the MUC Pilgrom Patchworkers.

Dear Jan-Maree,

Today a group of 10 ladies from the MUC Pilgrim Patchworkers visited the Simpson Army Barracks in Greensborough,Victoria. Our former minister is a Chaplain at Simpson and he invited us to visit the 4th Light horse Museum and then attend a prayer service as part of the National Day of Prayer for the Services.

We were sitting in the Museum office having morning tea when in walked a serving member who spoke to us about the quilt and laundry bag he had received whilst deployed. 

We were delighted but mystified how he knew we were there and had been involved in Aussie Heroes. Apparently an email is sent each morning detailing things happening that day on the base. Our visit was mentioned.

We met two other recipients during our visit as a result of the email. The quilters were delighted to hear first hand what the quilts and laundry bags mean to recipients. It was a fantastic visit and we really appreciated the hospitality we received. We had not expected the heart felt responses we experienced and it all meant a great deal to everyone of our group.

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Hi Pennie,

Thank you very lovely quilt and bag. The history of the 'Log Cabin' pattern and it's use during the US Civil War is very interesting.

You are certainly correct that I will have to share this with my girls on my return. I imagine Belle (who will be just over 3 years old then) will want to steal it for her bed straight away!

I am actually the Senior Medical Officer over here, so it was surprising and amusing to hear that you work as a Nurse. I have some great Nursing friends both in and out of Defence (from my time in hospitals previously, and now in uniform), and I'm sure they'll be thrilled to hear a Nurse made my quilt for me while I was deployed! :)

Thank you again for your work in producing a beautiful quilt for me and my family.

Cheers,

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Dear Joan & Robin,

From the bottom I would like to say Thank You. My laundry bag is beautiful and the thought and effort you put into make the bag is greatly appreciated.

Being away from home is one of the hardest things I have had to do, and the most rewarding and things like this laundry bag is one of the small things that makes this deployment easier. The patterns and colours is exactly what I was hoping for.

Keep up the good work as you will bring many smiles to our faces over here.

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Keryn

Hi, just thought I would drop you a quick email and let you know that the quilt you have done for me arrived yesterday, thank you very much for the hard work and effort you have put into this personalised design.

I really do appreciate the work that the 'Aussie Hero Quilts' people do (and their respective husbands, in your instance for making your quilting room). Your personalised touches and kind gestures that you send out to the troops in the form of boxed care packages is more than appreciated, it reminds us of the comforts of home and that there are people back home appreciative of our work and sacrifice that Australian Defence Force members are contributing every day to help make our country, and ultimately the world, a safer place.

Thanks again and cheers

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Good evening Jan-Maree,

This short note of thanks is in no way enough to say 'thank you' to both yourself for your tireless support of the ADF and to Robyn B whose marvelous craft work I am the proud and humble recipient of.  The tireless work you both do is so deeply appreciated in ways that I shall try to put in words.  My "Doctor Who" quilt is just 'amazing'!  I don't know what I was expecting from the brief I provided, but I know that I am completely overwhelmed by not only the workmanship, but also the love, kind thoughts and best wishes present in every stitch.  I cannot thank you enough for bringing a little bit of fun to my deployment, whilst at the same time bringing some of Australia here too. 

Kind regards,

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Hi Helen 

I have recently received the quilt you (and your mum) created for me as part of the Aussie Hero Quilt making project. Firstly, I would like to express my gratitude and I am absolutely speechless at the quality and design of the quilt you made. I could understand if there was some confusion in what I was asking for in the design as we were only given a small box to write the design idea in, I must say that your design truly exceeded all expectations and all my shipmates who have seen the quilt have remarked on how good it looks! 

As a bit of background, I am a 28 year old who joined the navy straight out of school, I recently celebrated my 10 years in the navy whilst on this deployment. The Navy has allowed me to visit many different countries, enjoyed the culture and met some fantastic people. I have served on HMAS Melville, HMAS Maitland, HMAS Pirie, HMAS Ararat, HMAS Betano, HMAS Brunei and now I am on HMAS Arunta. I have Deployed on Operations Astute, Resolute and now Manitou. I have enjoyed my time in the navy so far, it always offers up opportunities to do something different! 

As for the design, I am not sure if it was passed on to you about the background behind the Corn Cob, 5433 etc but let's just say it means the world to me! I have shown some mates back home and they all love it too! 

I will look for your fb page and upload a photo if the ship internet decides to work fast enough, sometimes it is a little hard out here! 

Thanks again for all the effort you have put in to this quilt, I will cherish it for years to come! 

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Hi Connie

I am the proud recipient of a hand made laundry bag.  I really appreciate your efforts and the ninja turtles are awesome.  I want you to know that you are amazing and that you made me feel very proud to be Australian.  Thank you so much.  Every now and then it is good to know that Australia is supporting us here, not just work, but the people of Australia.

Keep up the important work because you make us smile.

Regards,

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Nanny Ray

Yesterday I received the lovely quit that you made for me. All I could say is "WOW' when I first saw it, you are certainly a talented quilter and you have blown me away with your generous gift. The detail within the quit is outstanding and I particularly like the recipe books, chef hats, knives and utensils that are stitched within the design. I believe the Chaplain onboard will be arranging for a group photo of all the ships company with there quilts after we sail again to be sent to Jan-Maree.

I have had my laundry bay for several weeks now and yes it is well used, and keeping my smelly dirty clothes in check.

Thankyou so much 

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Good Afternoon Ally,

Firstly, I would like to thank-you for taking the time and effort and creating my laundry bag. I really appreciate your and other members efforts with regards to laundry bags and quilts.  I can tell you that it really increases morale and we all eagerly check the FB website whenever snippets are released.

The flags are indeed correct and look amazing! I just wanted to capture some of the places that I have deployed to.  All three aircraft are perfect and look smashing flying on the blue background - your son has done a fantastic job....

I am actually from WA and am a die hard West Coast Eagles supporter - I do love AFL and you have captured this brilliantly. :)

You have done a stellar job and I am really happy with what you have created for me.

Thanks for the lollies I made sure that I have passed the small little taste of home around the E-7A detachment.  They have pepped us up when we are doing our very long fly days.

I shall return home safely and the end is in sight - I can really see the light at the end of the tunnel now. ;)

Thanks again and take care, 

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Hi Debbie,

I recently received the quilt and laundry bag that you designed and made, and can I say, it is amazing. Thank you so much for the obvious time and effort that you put into creating such a masterpiece for the purpose of supporting me on operations. It is a special thing to know that there a people like you thinking of us and lending your support to what we do out here. It is a very challenging environment in many ways, but mostly because we're away from our loved ones for so long, so to see such a tangible example of appreciation like this is very well received and timely for me.

Some of the things we've done so far on deployment have been searching for narcotic smugglers, participating in international Search and Rescue, exercising with allied nations, and contributing to diplomatic efforts within the Middle Eastern region. To be honest, it's one of the most challenging and difficult things I have ever done, but it is definitely rewarding and I'm convinced we're part of something worthwhile up here. As far as daily life goes, most days I'm airborne in the Seahawk helicopter conducting patrols over water looking for evidence of smuggling activity. They can be long uncomfortable flights with all the gear on and sitting in a hot machine, but there have definitely been some interesting flights. We often see dolphins and whales and have even seen the bioluminescent algae (basically glow in the dark) which is pretty.

We have another few months to go on operations before we come home, but I have two weeks off coming up which I'm very much looking forward to. It sounds glamorous but I think I'll be doing a lot of sleeping during that time!

Anyway, thanks again so much for your generosity in making the quilt and laundry bag. They will go 'straight to the pool room' as quoted from The Castle and they'll be something I can show my grandkids in years to come!

Sincerely,

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Good evening Janeene,

Thank you dearly for the time and effort you put into making such a beautiful quilt and laundry bag. 

The weather up here in the Middle East is pretty chilly would you believe and I will use this daily until the summer I think. I do have a young daughter who will love to see this when I return and I cant promise she will not steal it off me.

All of us onboard here (Arunta) greatly appreciate the time and effort put in by all the quilters and the generosity of the Australian people. I was also overwhelmed by the amount of care parcels sent out this year for the Christmas period.

We are at our mid point of the deployment and it is going pretty good, a few more months and I will return to my family back in Oz. I have a lovely family, my wife has just started training with the WA Police and I have two beautiful kids in school. 

Thanks again, I truly appreciate the quilt and laundry bag. Oh and don't forget the Tim Tams. 

If the ship takes a photo of all the quilts together I will be sure to send you one.

Regards

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Hi Bev,

I just wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for the lovely quilt and Laundry Bag I received today. I have been in the Army for 15 years and this is my 12th deployment and the very first Aussie Hero Quit and Laundry Bag I have received.

Although

ii am not one that seeks gratitude for my service, it is lovely to receive some when it comes along. Your family has a lot of history in the Australian Defence Force and it is obvious the respect you have for service men and women.

Thank you again, what you do is a lovely thing for those deployed.

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G'day Mrs Hodges,

Hope this finds you well. A few days ago I received a care package which included the quilt you made. It is extremely humbling for me to think that someone who has never met me would take the time and go to the effort of creating something this unique and individually specialised.

While it is always great to receive the gifts from RSL and Legacy they are the same for everyone and would have been sent if I wasn't here. Your gift is highly personalised and means all the more because of it.

By no means am I what I consider to be a hero. I am extremely lucky to have worked alongside quite a few but I'm not one of them.

Rest assured that this quilt will become an heirloom of sorts but it will also be used.

Attached is a photo of the quilt on my bed, where it will stay for the remainder of my time here. It will come home with me and be a part of my work kit so whenever I have to be away from home I can take a little piece of it with me.

Once again, thank you for the time and effort you have taken to make this wonderful piece gift.

Sincerely

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Good morning Bev,

I just wanted to write a short note of thanks for your generosity in taking time to make a laundry bag for me. The bag is a wonderful reminder I see each day from home, reinforcing how amazing Australia is, and the humbling support we have in the work we are doing.

Thank you Bev for the love and pride you have included in every stitch you have sewn. Your thoughtful gesture has made Australia seem a little bit closer. 

Kind regards,

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To Ginny,

As luck would have it, the hero quilt that you made for me arrived on March 31 which just so happened to be my birthday. I turned 34 and aside from working a 12 hour shift it was a pretty good day made even better with your thoughtful gift. I am an armament technician on the hornet aircraft we are operating over here and have been in the military for 15 years this August. 

I have a wife, who is studying to become a nurse and a 12 year old son who turns 13 later this month. I will miss that milestone birthday which is disappointing but I would like to think he is proud of what we are doing over here and will understand.  We have a  chocolate Labrador and a black cat who I can't wait to see again when I return. 

Australia is a very lucky country and I am proud to be serving its interests. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your efforts in bringing a smile to myself and other serving members. Ps thanks for the lollies. 

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Dear Ruth,

Today I received the wonderful home-made laundry bag that you sent!   It is so very well made and the colours are just like my old rugby jumper strip that we used to have for the Ship's team onboard HMAS Arunta - I LOVE IT!!   Thank you so very much, it is a very welcome gift and extremely thoughtful of you to make it for me. 

At the moment we are completing some maintenance before we proceed on our next patrol chasing smugglers and conducting other Maritime Security Operations.

I am a Principal Warfare Officer and my job onboard is to be in charge of fighting the Ship for the Captain, ensuring all operations are conducted safely and effectively from the Operations Room.

We have only just passed the half-way mark of our deployment away from home, so we're on the downhill run now. 

Thank you again and take care. 

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Good Afternoon Gail,

Please be advised that I have received your wonderful quilt safe and sound. It is awesome and looks so good on my bed and really brightens up my room. The colours are beautiful and I love everything that you have incorporated into the quilt, it will be something that I will treasure forever.

Thank you also for the lollies they are greatly appreciated and will be shared by my members over here on deployment, as I provide a lolly jar at my cash office counter. 

A bit of my background I have been in the Defence Force for 26 years as a Reservist for the majority (whilst my husband was regular army) and I have been Regular Army for the last nine years. This is my first deployment and I have loved every minute of it although it was a bit harder over the Christmas period being away from my family including husband, children and grand children. They are a very supportive family and thrilled that I have finally been given this opportunity. I have just spent just under two weeks on leave and enjoyed a relaxing break with the family. I am nearly at the end of deployment and will be home soon.

Once again I thank you for your time and effort in providing something from home while I am away and really appreciate all that you do for our Defence Force members deployed.

Thank you and take care

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Good Morning Pennie,

Thank-you so much for the quilt and laundry bag you have made for me, I am completely astounded by the level of quality and detail you have put into making both of these. I was happy to see Linux enjoyed the Greyjoy quilt above the rest (great name by the way - I'm a computer nerd myself so I appreciate the name!). I have a cat back home - Nina, whom I am hoping will enjoy it as much as Linux and I have. We have a cat fanatic onboard so I have left the photo of Linux with him for his collection (he has an entire wall of cat photo's in his office!).

All of your efforts with producing these gifts have been greatly appreciated by the crew if you haven't already been told so, so on behalf of all of us I would like to thank you again for all of your hard work and wish you and your family all the best for 2017!

Thanks and Regards,

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Hi Sharon,

First off, thank you so much for the time and effort you have put into making me a laundry bag. I love it! I am using one my partner sent over for me because I forgot mine haha. But this is fantastic! And it makes me so proud to serve over here for you lovely people back home.

We have been pretty busy over here and it's always a great feeling when you receive a care package in the mail...especially if there is a letter inside. I'm only in my 20's but still quite old fashioned and love reading letters. I also love old cars...I am currently restoring a 1975 Dodge ute and I also own a 1975 Chrysler Galant. So you can probly guess I'm a Mopar man through and through. I come from a family of mechanics, each brother has a different taste haha.

I have so much respect for what you nurses do and the battles that you face day to day would make regular people give up, but you are extraordinary in your ability to care for and heal people. Good luck in your career and I hope you go far and have wins everyday!

Well I think it's time that I sign off now, you're probly sick of reading this email now. Thank you so much for your care package and the laundry bag you made me. I will take it on every deployment I find myself on and think of you and your lovely family. Have a great time in Ulladulla and I hope this email finds you well.

Thank you so much, this means a lot!
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Hi Pennie,

I just wanted to say a big thank you for the amazing laundry bag that you made for me. It is a great and unique laundry bag that will make finding the elusive laundry that much easier. The work that yourself and everyone apart of this great initiative do an amazing job. The effort that you have put in during your spare time is great. Although you don't get to see it personally all these items bring smiles to our faces knowing that there are people like yourself who give so much.

I wanted to say thank you for your work as an Emergency nurse as well and am amazed that you have the time to do something like this, just shows how much of a hero you are.

This laundry bag is something that I will cherish and be using for the rest of my career.

Thank you so much,

Regards

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That is all for this week.  

Til next time... keep spreading the word and happy stitching. 

Jan-Maree xxx