31 January 2023

Grati-Tuesday 31st January 2023

 

Happy Tuesday Friends!

Hope you had an awesome Australia Day and enjoyed some time off with family and friends.


Here are this weeks thank yous. Grab a nice cool beverage, sit back, relax and savour these beautiful messages! 
...

To Lynn F & Philomena

 

It has now been just over twelve months since I was presented my  wonderful AHQ&LB by Warwick E in January 2022. It was crafted with care by both Lynn F and Philomena and it came as an absolute shock to me for the effort and consideration that went into its fabrication.

 

Our family was able to continue the association with Lynn F at the 2022 Thank you dinner in Canberra with our eldest son and his fiancรฉ [both serving ADF personnel] joining them at their table – well orchestrated by J-M and your team.  The guile behind the scenes in acquiring the detail for the quilt was nothing short of a very clandestine operation.  Well done all.

 

Kind regards and sincere thanks




...

Good Evening Ruth S,

 

I received your hand made Laundry bag along with the lovely letter a couple months ago while on deployment.

I have successfully returned home and still use it!

 

Thank you so much for the laundry bag, I love it! The hand written note alongside the bag was very thoughtful and I feel touched that you took the time to put the personal message into the letter.

 

I hope you are doing well and hope it warms you to know I am much appreciative, and I have been be putting it to good use and will continue to do so.

 

Kindest Regards,

...

Good Morning Ruth S,

 

I just wanted to send you an email to thank you personally for my laundry bag I received which was ordered for the crew of HMAS Hobart whilst on deployment last year. I absolutely love my laundry bag and it is definitely getting its usage up during our periods at sea this year.

 

Thank you very much, it is exactly what I was hoping for.

 

Kind Regards,

...


Laura C,

 

Many thanks for the thought and effort you have put into the laundry bag – I love it!! It was a great surprise to come back to, ahead of our next operation and it has added quite a bit of colour to my cabin on board.

 

Sounds like you had a busy Christmas planned and I hope it all went well! I’ve never been to NZ, I have been scheduled to go with Navy on a few occasions but our plans have seemed to change ahead of our port visits.

 

I have been posted to HMAS Hobart now for a little over a year which has provided some interesting challenges. I’m looking forward to an upcoming maintenance period which will coincide with my wedding in April.

 

Again, thank you very much for your work. All the best for 2023!

 

Yours aye

...
Hi Sue-Ellen S, 

Just thought I'd reach out and say thank you for the Bluey quilt and laundry bag. They both turned out great! 

It sounds like your family is well embedded with the military which is great to see. I've been in the Navy for 11 years but will be getting out in the next few years to spend more time with my family. 

Thank you again for all that you do for us. I know I'm not the only one who appreciates your time and effort. 

I hope you had a good Christmas break. 
...

Hello Joy H,

I wanted to reach out and thank you from the bottom of my heart for the quilt. Its fantastic.  I have given this quilt to my daughter as I want her to get the most use out of it as possible. She loves it.

I have spent a fair bit of time in Nowra.  I fly on the C-130 and we often go down there to do parachute training with the Parachute Training School (PTS).  It's quite a nice area.  Particularly JB (Jervis Bay) which has some of the most beautiful beaches I've seen.  Pity I'm always looking at them from 1000 feet in the air and not with my feet in the water.

Thank you again for the Quilt it means a lot to my daughter and myself.

Kind regards
...

Hi Abbi W,

 

Thanks for so kindly making and sending me a quilt for my rack on the ship! The one that I received was the envy of many and it is evident how much care has been put into the craftsmanship.

My late aunty was a quilter so it’s a very kind gesture.

 

I have been away with work on deployment from the beginning of September until 16 Dec last year, we had a great time and I got to see and do a lot of things I would not have if I were not in the navy, including Darwin, Cairns, Japan, Philippines, Singapore etc. – my favourite being Japan by far!

I was lucky enough to get to spend some family time at home over Christmas for 3 weeks prior to receiving some dreaded short notice sailing orders again on Thursday to leave on Monday. It’s very tough on family life,  but we make it work.

 

I’m 31 years old and 9 years into my navy career as a Marine Technician – Electrical. 5 of those years have been spent posted to HMAS Hobart which we commissioned in 2017 and I’m still here. I reach 10 years and accrue long service leave in Jan 2024 which I intend on taking the family camping for 2 weeks at Crescent head in NSW, it is out favourite place in the world to be as a family, away from the city and the biggest thing to worry about is blue bottles and sunburn.

We managed to spend 5 days there just after new year’s eve this year, unfortunately when it was time to pack up and go home I has just starting to feel relaxed!

 

I have a fiancรฉ and a 3 year old daughter at home in Sydney waiting for me, I miss them ever so much whilst being deployed, the older I (and my daughter) get, the harder it is becoming.

 

In late Feb I commence study through university remotely which will make the sea time go by a bit quicker, I am enrolled in and aim to complete a Master’s degree in Cyber security, it is a very in demand role at the moment and I see it as a good opportunity to future proof my employment with a young family and lots of ‘work from home’ roles in the sector.

 

My partner works 2 jobs (even while I’m away). One being an SLSO (student learning support officer/teachers aid) and the other a program advisor/co-ordinator for out of school hours care centres.

She does the SLSO role mon-thu and our daughter goes to care 3 days a week and grandma one day a week, she then works from home on the computer when our girls is asleep most night till late, she is quite the worker.

We are getting married in Sydney in June which gives us something to look forward to after the turbulent 9 months the Navy has been kind enough to deliver.

 

We also purchased our first investment property in March last year, then in September it was flooded thanks to a 1 in 100 year flood, you wouldn’t read about it, we were very lucky we have building insurance, although the claim has been approved we are still awaiting repairs as all the contractors have been quite busy in the area. Hoping to have tools in the house in a few weeks, we are looking at the loss of rent as a lay-by renovation. Have to remain positive.

 

We have been on the ship preparing this week for out short notice deployment, we are leaving on Monday, I get 2 days off with the girls prior to leaving and my daughters 3rd birthday is in 2 weeks, so we are going bed shopping with her so she can pick her ‘big girls bed’ as she asked for a Frozen bed.

She is obsessed with the songs from the movies so she gets to pick the bed frame and we will fit it out with a frozen quilt set, she is also going to get a vanilla cake with sprinkles (by request) to sing happy birthday with dad and blow out the candles together. Very much looking forward to my final 2 days family time.

Her birthday at sea will still be difficult for me none the less.

 

We have a great crew and an even better Marine Engineering department on-board Hobart which makes the time away that little bit more bearable, even though the days are long and often tedious, we manage to make our own fun, its currently 1:30 in the morning and I’m half way through my shift on watch.

 

At sea I try stay active by doing a gym workout or Yoga 4-5 times a week, reading books and watching movies.

When I’m on the ship I seem to drink more black tea then many would think is humanly possible.

 

Thanks again to you and the AHQ team for the kind gesture and I will cherish my quilt for years to come.

 

Kind regards,

...
Until next week keep your letters, emails and photos coming in.  

Tuesday's would be so totally boring without them!
๐ŸŽ†๐ŸŽ†๐ŸŒˆ๐ŸŒˆ๐ŸŒž๐ŸŒž

30 January 2023

30 January 2023 Request List

Good morning,

We have another relatively small request list this week. Still waiting on details from the soldiers on  Operation Kudu, the operation that sees our soldiers in Europe training soldiers from Ukraine. Hopefully we will have their details before too long.

If you missed it last week these videos will explain more about their mission if you have not heard about it.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-17/australian-troops-bound-for-uk-to-train-forces/101865504

https://www.google.com/search?q=LTCOL+Chris+Gilmore&rlz=1C1UEAD_en-GBAU974AU974&oq=LTCOL+Chris+Gilmore&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i30i546j0i546l2.5207j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Defence Community Dog Stay Mats.

During our Quilters Gathering on the Friday night at HMAS Harman last year we handed out quite a number of kits to make Stay Mats for the Defence Community Dogs. Now that Christmas and the New year have been and gone, and school is about to start up, I am hoping that you can find the time to get on and get the mats made so that the DCD team have them when they need them. Your kits contain everything you need to complete a mat and they took quite a bit of time and effort to put them together so please, if you don’t think you have the time to complete the one you have, go ahead and send it back to us so someone else can complete it. If you have any questions regarding the instructions etc please let us know. I hope to see some pictures of completed Stay Mats in the coming weeks. I know they will be well appreciated.


So, again, a small list this week but let’s see if we can get some of these requests out of the way so that we can be free to eagerly support the soldiers on Operation Kudu when their requests come in.

Here is the request list for this week. Happy hunting. I hope you can find something that tickles your fancy. 

POST BY DATE

The post by date for all Requests on this list is 6 March 2023 please, or earlier if you can manage this.  If you cannot make that date, please let me know. Do reach out if you have any timing issues and we’ll resolve one way or the other. In fact, if you are going to be late posting it please let me know BEFORE you post it.  Also, if this time frame is too tight for you, there are options, just email me to discuss, thank you.     

Request Information 

When selecting a request, remember, you do not have to include everything they have asked for. Footy quilts do not need to have the logo or even the team’s name. Using the team colours is all that is required. Simple is perfectly acceptable.  A number of these requests have given you favourite colours as well as footy teams or other hobbies and interests. It is fine to make a quilt using their favourite colours and include only one of their interests.  It is fine to keep it simple.  

If there is more than one request on this list that you would be happy to do I suggest that you send me a list of requests and tell me how many you want to be allocated….i.e. one of the following please….  There are always a few requests that everyone wants to do (and I can never pick them) so if the first one you ask for is taken then I can allocate another from your list if I have a list.  

Any queries you might have, please don’t hesitate to contact via the AHQ email as per usual with any queries and we will assist you from there.  We may not know the answer, but it will be our pleasure to research and get back to you.    

A reminder, when you are ready to post the quilt or laundry bag you’ve created, please use the PMKEYS number given you in any correspondence with the admin team.  This helps the volunteer admin team keep a track of what’s been sent etc.  The PMKEYS number is included in the address details we supply for your recipient e.g.  the 7-digit number that starts with 8.  

Also, please use the Aussie Heroes PO Box address on your parcel in the event the parcel is Returned to Sender -  the PO Box is a safe place in the event of  any mishaps with postage.  

Aussie Hero Quilts (and Laundry Bags) 

PO Box 248,

Cherrybrook, NSW 2126  

Don’t forget to take a photo of your completed quilt or laundry bag to email to AHQ with the name and PMKEYS of the recipient and we can include in the Weekly Dispatches blog and add to the tally of quilts and laundry bags sent off to the troops.  I personally love viewing the photos of those projects dispatched – so inspiring.  

If you are using a AHQ supplied prepaid satchel please kindly use the AHQ address for the return address– also for your own packaging – if a parcel is Returned to Sender it is likely we can expedite its journey to the recipient from Sydney.    

Please also please hold on to the Tracking number (the pink sticker that you should remove before posting – we’ve experienced mail delays lately (haven’t we all?) and having the Tracking number is very reassuring to keep an eye on the parcel’s progress in arriving at its destination.  

Don’t forget, if you look at today’s Request List and need help choosing, please feel free to get in touch to discuss, we will be ready to reply and offer guidance by email. Our goal is to help you find a request that you will be comfortable with doing. If you need a crest etc we may be able to post embroideries / printed fabric images or email some of these to you.  

Helpful info may be gleaned here  http://aussieheroquilts.blogspot.com/2019/07/information-post-for-those-that-sew-for.html    I look forward to seeing the photos of completed quilts and LBs when they are ready to post off.  

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE copy the ENTIRE line if you wish to nominate for a quilt or laundry bag.   

For example…. 

Marvel Theme. Ironman     M       LB      1  

This is really important to make sure that neither you nor I copy the wrong number which could lead to me giving you the wrong details for specific request.  If you find it hard to copy and paste, please copy the line out as above.   

Decoding The Columns  

The first column is the theme or preferences requested.  

The second column indicates the gender of the recipient.  

The third column is as follows.  

B=both quilt and laundry bag (feel free to nominate to JUST do the laundry bag if you wish) 

Q= just a quilt 

LB = just a laundry bag 

F= female 

M= male   

Please let the Admin crew know if you have any other questions....Just email friendsofahq@gmail.com  

Looking forward to seeing what you want to make this week. Happy stitching!  

Cheers, 

Jan-Maree 

P.P.S.  Don't forget to check out AHQ on the Blog, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

Green, Blue, Yellow. Liverpool Football Club, Fav sports to play included Golf, Volleyball and Soccer

M

Q

1

Batman Joker, Darth Vader Luke Skywalker

M

Q

2

Tiger/Whale Sharks, XXXX Gold beer, labradors

F

Q

3

Red, Adventure Dirt Motorcycles, 4WD Adventure, Dakar Rally

M

Q

4

NRL Cowboys, Red cattle dog, Rick and Morty, Adventure time, Katana (Sword). F1

M

Q

5

"Keyboard warrior". Computers, computer accessories (such as keyboard, mouse, etc) and military equipment (guns, bullets, tanks?). Black background with blue? Grey? Whatever's easiest!

M

LB

6

NRL Melbourne Storm, Gym, Chef

M

Q

7

Rotweillers, surfing, VBs

M

Q

8

Surfing, Kitesurfing, Yacht, Blue/Grey

M

Q

9

Southeast Asia / Northeast Asia theme, missiles, destroyers, AEGIS logo (we can provide the logo)

M

Q

10

HMAS Hobart, Star wars LEGO (We can supply HMAS Hobart crest)

M

Q

11

Melbourne Storm, 2 names on it 

M

Q

12

adventure time cartoon, rick and morty cartoon

M

Q

13

Staffy dogs and pineapples. With some military aspects like Lest we Forget, RAAF crest (we can provide the crest)

F

Q

14

Navy blue, tuquoise, black, silver, red.    Tennis, surfing, sports cars, super hornets

M

Q

15

Blue, Sports

M

Q

16

Red, Liverpool Football Club

M

Q

17

Navy Veteran, enlisted 1963-1984
RAN Crest with personal details, HMAS Albatross and HMAS Melbourne Blue, anything Navy (we can provide the RAN and ships' crests)

M

Q

18

Air to Air Refuelling RAAF KC-30A & USA KC-46A partnership (we could provide silhouette for applique)

M

B

19

naval flavour and/or snowy mountains (WE can supply RAN Crest)

F

B

20

RAAF Crest and/or the Roundel and other RAAF images such as some of our iconic aircraft would be fabulous. Childrens names and DOB. (WE can supply crests/badges/embroidery of children's details. We can also supply silhouette of aircraft for applique)

F

B

21

dark blue, light blue, black, silver, orange
Historic motorsport, Formula 1, Walking (especially in rainforests etc)
Old World War 2 aircraft and love the AP-3C Orion aircraft !"

M

Q

22

Formula 1 (Sebastian Vettel), Le Mans, All things car racing. My favourite colours are Blacks, Greys and blues.

M

B

23

The RAAF Crest and WOFF rank  to be included. 38SQN with the Caribou aircraft and 10SQN with the Orion aircraft. OP Helpem Fren Solomon Islands 2004. Blue and green. Passionate North Queensland Cowboys supporter (we can supply RAAF crest and WOFF Rank)

F

B

24

Brisbane bronco’s or happy to go an AirForce theme, I have spent my whole career working within Air mobility group (transport aircraft) including C130 Hercules, Caribous, and C-17 Globemaster.
Very passionate angler and love my lure fishing also as a theme
RAAF Crest (We can provide the crest)

M

B

25

military theme and has worked on C-130's, P-3C Orion's and currently works with F-35's at 75 squadron which has the magpie on their unit crest.
Please include Grandfather's service details
Red poppies and the Australian flag.

M

B

26

Rising Sun Badge
Australian Flag
Warrant Officer Class Two Rank Badge,
RASIGS Badge
a "Poppy".
Text
Afghanistan Op Slipper  2012
Solomon Islands Op Anode 2003
My include : Barramundi Fishing & Sunsets
(We can supply the badges and text embroidery )

M

B

27

Rising Sun with pers details and RAAMP badge
Served 1997 - 2018.
OP WARDEN  1999 – 2000
OP SLIPPER  2002
OP CATALYST  2004 – 2005
OP CATALYST  2005
OP PALADIN  2008 – 2009
OP KRUGER & OP SLIPPER  2009
OP KRUGER  2010
OP SLIPPER  2013
(We can supply the badges and deployment details as am embroided patch)

M

Q

28

Geelong Cats, RM Williams & ARIAT fan. Rising Sun and artillery badge (WE can supply the badge)

M

B

29

likes animals and is a dog trainer.  He just recently got his light aircraft pilots licence and likes to fly his drone.

M

B

30

Rising Sun and RAEME corps badge
Colours are up to the quilter. (WE can supply the badges)

F

Q

31

RAAF crest, aircraft worked on - HERC, Falcon, Hornet, hawk, spartan or 37sqn, 34SQN, 77SQN, 2 SQN (before planes arrived ) 35SQN, 76SQN ..he loves Holden cars, Star Wars, star trek, scotch (whiskey make his own home brew-spirits ) Remembrance poppy (We can supply the RAAF crest and crests for the air force squadrons. alternately we can supply silhouettes of aircraft for applique)

M

B

32

Dessert themes

F

Q

33

Rising Sun, Army but served on HMAS Kanimbla. HMAS Kanimbla crest and JMCC Wagon wheel. (We can provide the Rising Sun and Kanimbla crest, JMCC wheel easy to applique)

F

B

34

Poppies and any/all colours of the rainbow

F

B

35

Motorbikes, old bikes, new bikes, dirt bikes really any form of motorbike would be fab.  If it could also have the Special Operations Command and Regiment badges too

M

Q

36

Sydney Swans, Surfing and Flying (I am a RAN MH-60R Pilot)

M

LB

37

Blue, Black, Red (for poppy flowers) and Gold. Hobbies: Woodworking, Shooting, Sailing & Jetskiing.
"Thankyou For Your Service" and a soldier holding his weapon ready for battle.

M

B

38

loves Liverpool Football Club, dogs, and 100% Navy.
RAN crest
Op Belisi Bougainville 1997
Op Warden East Timor 1999
Op Slipper 2002
HMAS Success
HMAS Waterhen
HMAS Creswell
HMAS Success
HMAS Stirling
HMAS Anzac
HMAS Sirius

F

B

39

Red White  Blue  Green Gold
Themes: Army, Rising Sun, Australia Flag, Infantry Badge, RSAR Badge, AMCU Camo.

M

Q

40

Blue colour please. My proffession is a GP, so perhaps incorporating red cross, stethoscope or something similar. Hobbies include BBQ, pizza making, Labradors, reading, cruise shiop vacations

M

Q

41

Colour palette- soft pastels pink, gray green. I love my dogs – I have 2 English cocker spaniels, and Paris (where I got engaged – under the Eiffel tower). Small RAN Crest (We can supply the crest)

F

LB

42