Sharing on Sunday.

I had a special visitor last week.  If you have been sending off boxes of laundry bags over the last few months,  chances are you have sent at least one box to this fellow.

Much to my surprise he presented me with a Certificate of Appreciation for Aussie Hero Quilts.  
It reads

"Aussie Hero Quilts

Thank you for your outstanding ongoing support to the men and women of the Australian Defence Force serving in the Middle East Area of Operations.

Your special gifts of quilts and laundry bags remind us every day that people at home are thinking of us.  We very much appreciate your support"  

And it is signed by the Major General, the Commander of Joint Task Force 633.

I felt very humbled and very much appreciate it but of course it is for all of us, I just get to hang it on my wall.  :-)

The certificate was accompanied by a Commemorative Coin which is very special.

Formalities over, there was time to share some morning tea.  Now there were two great gents where this fellow used to be, and over the months there has been quite a bit of banter back and forth with them - your typical military humour and mickey taking.   At the end of their deployment I sent them a box of goodies which included some home made cookies as a way of saying "thanks for working with us".  What I didn't know what that the other fellow was away at the time and was not able to partake of any of the cookies.  They were eaten without him.  Apparently he never forgave his "mate" so this photo is for him, just to let him know that we were thinking of him on Friday, even though he couldn't join us for morning tea.  :-)

It has been quite a week for special thank you messages as I also received a letter from Brigadier in Afghanistan.   He said in part

"I know whenever mail arrives there is the inevitable shout of excitement from someone who has received a box from AHQ and the subsequent "displaying"  of their new prized possession for all and sundry to appreciate.  Your organisation had given much pleasure to deployed Australians and your quilts will be an indelible memory of their time spent here when these quilts are placed on their sons and daughters beds and they are told the story of these beautiful heirlooms."

The letter was accompanied by another Commemorative Coin, similar but different and every bit as special.

Hello Jan-Maree

I'm writing to say a HUGE thank you for my Aussie Hero quilt, received today. Leanne Mac made my quilt and it's beautiful! The laundry bag is gorgeous too, one I'll take with me on my next job overseas. I will send Leanne a personal thank you too.

Again I'd like to thank you for doing this. It's wonderful to know that people at home think of everyone over here - and do something so practical to make our lives a little bit nicer while we're away from home. 

Kindest regards

Hi Jan-Maree,

I would like to pass on a big thank you from my team who have recently begun our deployment.  The laundry bags are all fantastic and of the highest quality - I am sure they will last us far into the future. 

 My mother also does quilting so I know how much effort your team has put into making them, so again I thank you all for your time, effort and kind thoughts.

 Kind Regards,

Dear Jan-Maree

 Thanks for the beaut laundry bag you sent over to Afghanistan. We are so lucky to have so many caring people in Australia such as yourself.

I chose the one with golf bats on it as it will remind me of the great times playing golf with friends which I will hopefully again be able to do in a few months time.

Dear Sue N

Thank you so much for the Bob the Builder laundry bag, it really made my day. My youngest son allowed me to have his Bob the Builder quilt cover set to use while I am away so that he could upgrade to Buzz Lightyear. I cannot begin to describe how happy I was when someone knocked on my door and said they had a present for me and I received your laundry bag. It is now another item I have here to remind me of my two sons. This is my third and possibly my last tour, and this gift made me extremely happy. Thank you for your support and be rest assured that we all do appreciate the work you do with Aussie Hereos Quilts. I am extremely grateful and you have made my laundry experience that little bit brighter.

Kind regards

Jill S,

Thank you very much for the quilt.

It now takes pride of place in my room. I especially like the personal touch of my initials.

Life here can be a little challenging at times, but my team takes everything in their stride and does so with a great sense of humour. I think that is just the Australian way.   Each person has their own experiences and bring different aspects of knowledge and experience to the team. We like to hope we are making some sort of difference.

Thank you again for your time and effort in making me a personalised quilt, and generally for your efforts with AHQ. Knowing the support from back home makes being away just that little easier.

Hi Deb and Jim,

 My name is XXXX and I would like to thank you so much for the beautiful Scottish quilt you sent. I feel proud and honoured to have received a piece of art from yourself. Thank you so much as well for your time and effort for personalising it for me.

Thank you so much again and I hope you have a fantastic trip.

Cheers,

And finally a short and sweet one for Jean D

Hi, all just wanted to let u know I received my Quilt, it is very nice and soft and very Australian.

Till next time...............keep spreading the word and happy stitching!