Grati-Tuesday 29 October 19

Here are some inspiring and heartwarming letters and emails received

from Aussie Heroes who have

received a quilt and/or Laundry Bag.  Lovely to read and so encouraging.

Hi Lynn,

I just wanted to let you know that I received the quilt you sent me, it is amazing, thank you so much for making it, I am the envy of everyone that has seen it. I have sent you a photo of myself holding it. Could you please also thank – Inge C, Liz J, Noelene W, Wendy F, Dorothy C and Philomena for me, the Quilt really is amazing.

I would also like to send a huge thank you to Jan-Maree and the amazing service Aussie Hero Quilts provides for deployed soldiers. The guys here love receiving their Quilts and Laundry bags.

My partner and kids were very impressed and loved it, thank you so much for adding the photo of my family to it and the Chile flag  J

It was great to hear about you and your family. Congratulations on your 51^st Anniversary. It is amazing that you have been sewing quilts for 6 years, such an amazing service that that you ladies provide.

I am currently an Air Force reservist. I have only been in the RAAF for just under two years but I spent over 15 years in Infantry.

I also work for the Air Force as a civilian, I am APS (work in Quality), studied Engineering at Uni.

In my free time I play soccer and don’t mind hitting the gym. My favourite past time though is taking the kids out to the beach and for bush walks, bike rides, anything outdoors.

Thank you so much again for making such an amazing Quilt. I will keep it and use it until it dies on me J.

I wish you all the best

......

Dear Cassandra,

Thank you for your wonderful package with the quilt but also your heartfelt letter. 

Please let me start by saying that the quilt is amazing! 

The quilt now has pride of place on my bed and gives me great joy to look at every time I come into my room after a long day! 

I know I, and my team appreciate the work that you and many others do and the time and effort you put into those quilts and they are looking forward to when theirs comes after seeing how good yours was. 

Please know that all soldiers over here appreciate the time you give up to volunteer and work you do.

In closing, I wish you, your husband and your children a Merry Christmas and hope the New Year finds you all well. 

I offer my absolute gratitude and sincerest of thanks for the quilt.

Regards

......

Good afternoon Kate,

Thank you heaps for the laundry bag. It's awesome. I currently have it hanging on the wall. With my name on it I feel I should be recruited for next year. Well, your late brother In-law must of been a top bloke then. I've sent photos of your work to friends and family. They all think the same way I do, that's it's brilliant.

Gippsland is an amazing place as is Bundaberg.  5 minutes from the beach sounds fantastic.  I live in Katherine, well when I get there. Lots of wallabies and bird's. But i do enjoy the remoteness.  And permanent warmth of the NT. Unfortunately 300km from the ocean. 

Enjoy your retirement! It's a fantastic hobby you have. Also putting smiles on our faces.  Thank you!! Also thanks for the box of goodies. I will keep it as a memento. Thank you!!!

Kind regards

......

Dear April,

Thank you very much for my lovely quilt. If my quilt is one of your first creations, being that you are new to sewing, I can only imagine how wonderful they will be in the future, although I don’t know how!

A little bit about me: This is my first deployment. My husband has deployed many times, so Mum leaving is new to us all. My kids weren’t happy but they are doing really well.

I hope you continue to convalesce and get fighting fit really soon.

Thanks again for my fabulous quilt.

Best wishes,

......

Dear Lyn,

I just wanted to say thank you so much for my quilt. I can see you spent so much time and energy creating it and I’m so glad you enjoyed it.

I spent about 2 years in Adelaide during the start of my career and I don’t remember ever feeling that cold! I’m much like you and prefer warm weather. Also, coming from a farming family I can appreciate the struggle they experience and they are always in my thoughts. My family in central Qld know the same struggles. I’m very sorry to hear about your son’s illness and I do hope he continues to recover quickly.

I can see from your letter that you come from a strong and loving family that sticks together no matter the hardships, and I admire you.

Hard work deserves reward and I’m so glad to hear that you and your husband have taken the time to explore what our beautiful country has to offer.

Coming from Qld I am a little biased in saying I think it takes the cake, however Darwin has a special place in my heart and I hope you enjoyed your time there.

From all of us here, I know the feeling of opening up that box to see our quilts is always very overwhelming and I can’t say how much we all appreciate the time and effort you contribute.

I’ll save you any more pain trying to read my terrible handwriting and leave it here. Thank you so much!

Kindest wishes,

......

Dear Jean,

I want to apologise for my delay in replying. Unfortunately I can get constantly sidetracked when it comes to sending letters / replying, it’s a habit that often gets me into trouble with my parents.

I was blown away by the laundry bag you made for me. I know the effort all you ladies put in to these, and even the smallest detail is appreciated, but when I opened up and saw the laundry bag, just WOW. Then I noticed the shark you cut out of material, and the diver too! Simply amazing, thank you so much! I have included a coffee mug, a Task Group Challenge coin and a fridge magnet as small tokens of my extreme appreciation.

For the coffee mug – I’m told that years ago there was a Starbucks etc on base, but due to issues they had with the American government it was shut down; that’s okay, though, they do terrible coffee.

A little about myself for you. I’ve been in the Navy almost 9 years now. I’ve spent on average 7-9 months away each year for the last 3 years, and this one too. Through my travels away with Navy, though, I’ve been lucky to visit 18 countries, with my highlights being Hawaii, South Korea, Japan and Tonga.

I’m currently in my last week of deployment, so by the time you receive this I will be back to my apartment in Sydney all in one piece after a long 6.5 months.

Thank you again for my laundry bag and I’m sure the countless more items you’ve made for others. I hope they are not all as poor in their response times as I am. Hope you get to back to Africa again soon! I’ve yet to visit there but I’m sure it’s amazing.

With all the thanks in the world,

.....

Dear Jean,

Firstly I’d like to thank you for the personalised laundry bag and treats you sent, and secondly, apologise for the lengthy delay in getting this to you. We are just coming out of an extremely busy period and this is the first chance I’ve had to write.

I have been a clerk in the RAAF for 15 years. This is my second deployment to the Middle East Region. I have been here for 6 months now and will soon be returning home to my husband and 5 year old son. I can’t wait to see them both!

The ANZAC/Remembrance themed laundry bag I received far exceeded my expectations. I absolutely love it, and am so grateful for the time and effort you put into making it.

Please accept these gifts as a small token of my appreciation. The coin represents the task unit that I am currently deployed with.

Thanks again,

......

Dear Sue,

I want to apologise for my delay in replying. Unfortunately I can constantly get sidetracked when it comes to sending letters/replying, it’s a habit that often gets me into trouble with my parents.

I was blown away by the quilt you made for me. Particularly when you’ve cut it all out and designed most of it yourself, so thank you for that, it is greatly appreciated. I have included a couple of goodies (nowhere near the amount you gave me which was just phenomenal). You should have a coffee mug, A Task Group Challenge coin and a fridge magnet as well as a silver pashmina scarf. All of these are from the local markets on board. I hope you like them all as a token of my extreme appreciation, even though the scarf may be more decorative as it is starting to warm up back in Aus. now.

A little about myself for you. I’ve been in the Navy for almost 9 years now. I’ve spent on average 7-9 months away a year for the previous three years and this one too. Through my travels with Navy though I have been lucky to visit 18 countries, with my highlights being Hawaii, South Korea, Japan and Tonga.

I’m currently on my last week of deployment, so by the time you receive this I will be back to my apartment in Sydney all in one piece after a long 6.5 months.

Coincidently as well, for the few people who you make these for..... X,  who you also made one for was sitting next to me when I received the parcels from yourself. He’s based in a different area of operation, but was here working for a few days, so how’s that for timing. 😊

Again, thank you so much for my quilt! You did more than I could have ever asked for and I’ll always be grateful. I hope you’re well and keeping doing such an amazing job.

With all the thanks in the world!!

......

Good Morning Jan-Maree,

I am writing to thank you for the quilt that you have made for me. I received it two weeks ago and it has come in great timing. The weather here in Iraq is finally starting to cool down after being a very hot summer. I acknowledge that it was made from a number of different people and with a crest added to it so if you are in touch with the other stars, please pass on my thanks. 

I have been in the Army for over 17 years with this deployment being my 6^th. This is the first time that I have received a quilt and it was a great boost midway through the trip. It always amazes me that there are people out there that are constantly able to put others before themselves and for people like yourself to have such a selfless attitude when it comes to supporting our troops. Any reminders of home are always kept close to our hearts whilst we are away from our loved ones. 

Thank you again for your quilt and your support. 

Regards

......

Dearest Pennie,

I just wanted to thank you so much for my wonderful laundry bag! It’s absolutely beautiful and I love the patterns, birds and colours! Thank you for making my room feel a bit brighter and more homely!

You are definitely correct – I work with six guys in my team and love adding my “female” perspective into their lives! I am a project manager back home (Canberra for now) and am looking forward to seeing my boyfriend and cat when I get back home in Jan 2020.

......

Jan-Maree,

Can you please pass this on to my quilter.

Thank you very much for my Quilt and Laundry Bag. It really brightens up my room and helps me think of home. I really appreciate everything that you do to help support our operations.

Once again from the bottom of my heart thank you very much, this is really appreciated.

PS. My family love these as well, I’m sure that this will help them during my deployment knowing I have something that reminds me of home.

Regards,

......

Good Afternoon Ruth,

By way of introduction, ... I am currently deployed to Iraq. 

I am in roughly 5 months into a 7 month tour and last week, I had the pleasure of receiving a laundry bag that you had made especially for me. Thank you very much. I absolutely love it. 

I appreciate the time and effort that you’ve put into making my laundry bag. 

Lastly, the support you and your dedicated team who provide these laundry bags and quilts goes a long way for us members deployed overseas. By receiving these gifts, our spirits are lifted greatly knowing that there are a group of special people back home who are willing to create something special for us and don’t ask anything in return. I can’t thank you and your organisation enough. 

I am due to return to Australia roughly a week before Christmas and can’t wait to get back home.

Kind regards and thank you again.

......

Hey Pennie, 

A little about myself- I am 23 years old and originally from Brissy. I am from The 5th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment based in Darwin where I’ve been for about 4 years now , this is my second deployment to the Middle East. 

I received the quilt and laundry bag that you made, thank you so much it means a lot you guys do an amazing job supporting us we are very grateful. The colours certainly do brighten up the gloomy room and I look forward to being able to keep this quilt and laundry bag as a reminder for years to come. 

The story behind the caption is when I arrived here they didn’t have an allocated room for me so I was sharing with 2 others and I didn’t have a cupboard and I couldn’t unpack my bags. I am a very OCD person and like to be neat and tidy and unpack my things and set up, I asked everyday for a cupboard because all I wanted to do was unpack my bags but sadly this went on for about 4 weeks. Anyway I finally got a cupboard and a bed to myself hence the caption on the quilt. As for the unicorn I really can’t answer that. My Sergeant organised this quilt for me so I guess the unicorn and slogan are his way of reminding me to not sook to him for 4 weeks about not having a cupboard ever again. The unicorn is stunning by the way. 

It’s interesting to hear about your life and what you like to get up to. You sound like you keep busy and have an incredible amount of hobbies, I am thoroughly impressed. I also love Europe and I am I fact going again this year with my girlfriend to Rome , France, Germany and Prague, I spent a month last year in Ireland, England, Amsterdam and Paris and really enjoyed it, nothing beats travelling. 

I wish you the best and hope you and your family are well, thank you so much for your time and effort to create such an amazing piece of artwork and warmth for me that I can treasure forever :D 

Regards,

......

Dear Sue,

Thank you so very very much for the spectacular blanket you made for me.

It has been a comforting reminder of home and my 3 fur children, Victor, Lady Lux and his 'meowjesty' Rafe.

 These days I live in Adelaide with my other half (Also in the RAAF).

 Please accept a few small items as a token of my sincere appreciation for your great work and thoughtful card.

Smiles from 1000 miles.
.....

Good Afternoon Joy,

I am currently deployed on operations to Iraq.

I had the pleasure of receiving a quilt that you had made especially for me. Thank you very much. I absolutely love it. The design is fantastic and I couldn’t be happier with it. I appreciate the time and effort that you’ve put into making my quilt.

Lastly, the support you and your dedicated team who provide these quilts and laundry bags goes a long way for us members deployed overseas. By receiving these gifts, our spirits are lifted greatly knowing that there are a group of special people back home who are willing to create something special for us and don’t ask anything in return. I can’t thank you and your organisation enough.

I am due to return to Australia roughly a week before Christmas and can’t wait to get back home.

Kind regards and thank you again.

......

Until next time,

Sandy