Wednesday - Happy Mail - Happy Travels.

Hi All,
I hope you have all had a fantastic day yesterday for the cup. Did anyone pick any winners?

I did remember Cup Day was coming up sometime on Monday but forgot all about it yesterday.  In fact when the cup was on I was sitting chatting to this fellow who came to collect his quilt.  His request had come in a little too late so we arranged that he would receive it once at home.   Esther made his quilt and, whilst you can't see it in the photos, it not only incorporates Batman fabric but is also quilted in a Batman design.  His response on receiving it was words to the effect that he was "blown away by it" and won't the others be jealous!  LOL

Well done Esther!

I did promise you that I would share some information about my upcoming trip with you.   You all know that I am heading up to Brisbane for the dinner on the 30th but now it is time for me to fill you in on the rest of my plans.

I am heading up to Murwillumbah for a few days before Brisbane.  I fly up Tuesday afternoon and Sue F will collect me from the airport and take me to her home to stay for Tuesday and Wednesday nights.  Sue is not only an Aussie Hero Friend but she is also an Army mum and Lynn, Belinda and I made her son's quilt.  On the Wednesday I will go to Sue's sewing group with her and I am really looking forward to meeting the ladies.

You will never guess who Sue and I are going to go and visit on the Thursday!  Angela from Brisbane is going to join us and we are heading off to meet the Old Bags and the Dag for morning tea.  I am so looking forward to meeting them and sitting and having a chat.  I promise to take lots of photos to share with you all too.

After morning tea Angela and I will head off back to Brisbane where I will once again lay claim to the Chook Shed, Angela's sewing room, and we will start to prepare for the dinner. I am sure we will fit in a trip to East Coast Fabrics and then the Saturday is the big night! Woo Hoo.

On the Sunday we are planning a Brunch at a local cafe for anyone in Brisbane who cannot make the Saturday night or anyone, like Michele, who has traveled to Brisbane and wishes to meet up again.  Finally on Monday I return to Sydney.  That will not be the end of my travels as a couple of days later I have to head off in the car for the 8 hour drive to collect my son from Boarding school.  

I am planning a few posts in advance to cover some of the time while I am away and will keep up with emails and other issues as much as I can.  This will be the longest time I have been away from home since starting AHQ so thank goodness for technology and wifi!

Normally today I would share photos of things that have arrived in the mail but we missed out on the thank you messages so here they are tonight.
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This first one is for Margaret and the Old Bags and the Dags.

Hi Margaret,

I just wanted to say thank you for my beautiful quilt, laundry bag and goodies. It was a wonderful surprise to come back to my room after a long day here to find something from home. It truly meant a lot to know that someone back home took the time not only to send me something, but having something created just for me by a talent group of people was really touching.  

The laundry bag has definitely come in handy that is for sure! The food was shared around with everyone and was gone within the day haha and the quilt has made my room feel just that little bit more like home.

I apologies for the delay in my response, please pass on my thanks to everyone there. I think what you are doing is amazing :)

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Hi Joan & Robin,

I just wanted to say thank you for my laundry bag which I received a few days ago.

It has certainly brightened up my corner of the room, very handy, and of course it's always exciting when we get mail!!

Your time and effort is very much appreciated over here. There are a lot of people getting around with lovely Quilts and Laundry Bags - it's a bit of a morale boost and nice to know we're being thought of back home :)

So thank you again. Look forward to coming back to our very beautiful, kind and generous country!
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Good Morning Joan and Robin,

Thank you very much for my laundry bag. I received the pattern of apples and it nicely brightens up my living area.

I have been away from home for only a month, so still have a few to go. The laundry bag will definitely come in handy with all the washing trips to come.

Thank you again. 
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Good evening Joan and Robin,

I just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to make the very bright and lovely laundry bags that you have sent over to the middle east.

I have been deployed for five months now and am due home just before Christmas, so my family are happy about that.

The weather is turning cold especially in the mornings and evenings. It sounds like the weather in Sydney is beautiful (less the fires I have been hearing about on the news).

This is my third deployment. I am enjoying myself, learning a lot, doing a job I have trained for, making new friends and catching up with some old friends. The food is great (Australian meals) and we also have access to a gym. I am in a logistics role (warehousing, transport, medical, maintenance etc).

Thank you again for taking the time. We really appreciate the support we are receiving from back home.

Kind regards,
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Good evening Aussie quilts. 

I just received my quilt and it AMAZING, thank you so so much.

My colleague as just arrived and after seeing it his eyes lite up. Could I please put in a request for one for him as a surprise?

Of course I wrote back and said that was fine but I needed some more info and this was the next email in part.

I just came back to my block and was commenting on my quilt when one of the girls mentioned she got one too, she was sooo happy.  Thanks again, you are truly are special women.

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Jan-Maree,

I was so impressed with the quilt and laundry bag and I sent Jenny G a letter and photo (attached) of me with the quilt but in the process forgot all about you. (he is forgiven of course!)

So yes, it has arrived. It arrived the day before I left for leave to Australia for a couple of weeks. I decided to take it with me to show my wife in person how good it is. Jenny managed to pretty much include all my interests on the one quilt. As you can see, the main feature was the Maronite cross – but the whole lot was so well made, and soooo spot on – I had the biggest smile on my face that day and everyone that sees the quilt in my room is really impressed to.

So thank you to you and to Jenny and all the beautiful people at Aussie Hero Quilts for helping keep us happy over here.

Again, I want to emphasise that I am really grateful – the quilt is amazing and I deeply appreciate the effort that went into it. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

God bless you, 

Dear Liz and Rob
Many thanks for the wonderful quilt and letter you sent to me which I received a couple of weeks ago it was a very nice surprise. I apologise for not contacting you sooner as things can get quite busy here at times. The other members of my unit have also recerived quits from AHQ and everybody remarks on how well they are made and wonder how long they take to make as they are very detailed. It is certainly nice to know that people at home are thinking of us while we are away as alot of what we do goes unreported.

I am a carpenter and I am here with several other tradesman and plant operators to help deconstruct parts of the base as Australia draws down its involvement in Afghanistan.  I joined the army in 2007 because I wanted to use my trade skills as a carpenter to help people so I thought the army would be a good way to do that and so far it has been great. While I have been in the army I have been lucky enough to travel to remote parts of Australia to help local Aboriginal communities and to some Pacific Islands helping with various building projects.
Once again thankyou for your gift and kind words, I will be showing the quilt and letter to my family when I get home in a few weeks.

Regards

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Hi Julie-Ann

Firstly let me say a big thank you for the fantastic laundry bag that you made for me, I love it and I especially love that you put my initials on it. The treats were also greatly appreciated.

I am pleased that you got the opportunity to make something girly as there aren't that many of us over here in comparison to the males.

I am hoping to me home for xmas but honestly I am not really sure at this stage.

I hope you have a lovely xmas and new year with your family and thankyou once again for the laundry bag.

Good Evening Joan (& Robin),

I am currently on deployment in the Middle East.  Recently I received a laundry bag from Joan so I wanted to personally thank you for it.  I love it!  It is an awesome colour and the perfect size.  It will prove to be very useful and I will treasure it for many years to come.  I attached a photo of me holding it so I hope you are able to share it with others.  There are many people, along with myself that really appreciate the work your organisation does.  So once again thank you for my laundry bag and keep up the good work.

Cheers

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Julie-Ann,
        many thanks for the laundry bag that you personalised for me, I have been showing it off with pride among my crew mates.  I know too that XXXXX was also impressed by his as well.  We took some photos yesterday of those on board who have received either laundry bags or quilts to send to Jan-Maree.

      Many thanks again, when the photos become available I will send a copy to you.
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Julie-Ann,

I'm writing to express my sincere thanks for your efforts in sewing the laundry bag which I just received when we pulled in to XXXXX. It was a very nice surprise to get in the mail and definitely made my day. I think it amazing what you and AHQ do for deployed personnel and it's acts of recognition which make long deployments like this that little bit more bearable. I know a number of other people on board who also received laundry bags and quilts and they all feel the same as I do. I will send a proper thank you letter and a token of my appreciation when we pull in to our next port however with mail delays and time at sea it may take a while to arrive to you.

Thanks again for your amazing gift!

Regards,

Christine C received this awesome photo of her quilt.    Don't the bright colours stand out in the surroundings!

Good Morning Joan and Robin,

I am currently deployed on my first deployment and I received one of your laundry bags yesterday. Its bright with bright stripes, I love it!
Just want to say thank you so much for making these for us it really does boost morale and puts smiles on peoples faces and they do brighten up our living spaces.

Thanks again :)

Kind Regards,
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Dear Caroline,

Firstly I hope I have the right email address as I was not sure.

I just received a lovely parcel from you and it was very humbling to open. I cannot thank you enough for the beautiful laundry bag you have made me as I will keep it for ever. I also want to thank you for the wonderful letter you wrote me and photo of your beautiful dog as it reminded me of my dog at home. 

I also want to thank you for the tea and coffee which I have already drunk. Food over here is pretty average so I am loosing plenty of weight.  I have made many friends with the Afghani people as most of them are just like you and I. They love their family and will do everything to protect the and provide for them under extremely difficult circumstances.

Thank you so much Caroline  for what you have done for me as I will always appreciate it.

Yours Sincerely 
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Hello JM,
I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you for my Quilt as it has arrived.  I hve already emailed Liz to thank her and her husband as well and I must say I have received many compliments most from NZ personnel saying wow that's cool we have nothing like this for us.  I also received a very warm beanie that due to the very low temp here has been on my head every night.  Once again a big hug and thanks for all the efforts of you and your friends showing me and other troops deployed that great people at home care and understand what we go through so far from home and loved ones.
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Dear Liz and Brian,

Thank you so much for the lovely care package. The blanket and laundry bag were even better than I expected.   I adore the colours and the little westie (west highland terrier) was an immense morale boost. he looks just like my Macvito.

The additional goodies were a delightful surprise. It was a nice reminder of home. Your time and thoughtfulness means so much to me.

Again thank you so very much for your time and wonderful gifts, your kindness is truly appreciated.

Kind regards, 

p.s. Mr Liz thank you for your service, it's the traditions and values forged by members such as yourself and my parents that I aspire to honour.

Till next time...............keep spreading the word and happy stitching!  JMxx  :-)