Grati-Tuesday 14th March 2023

Happy Tuesday Friends!

I hope you are having an awesome week so far!

We have a few thank you's from members who have done 20+ years in service of our great country.  Having made a call for request recently I think we will see more and more over the next few months!

Grab a cuppa, sit back, relax and savour these beautiful messages! 

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Ellen N had the honour of 'ambushing*' a recipient with his Quilt at a recent Nowra Quilter’s meeting. The recipient and his wife (Joan B who embroiders for AHQ) were delighted by the lovely job done by Bridget R with embroideries by Keryn M.

*The word the recipient used to describe his surprise. LOL 

L-R Ellen N, Joan B and recipient

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Pennie T,

I just wanted to send an email to say thankyou so much for the lovely quilt you took the time to make for me.

It was fantastic to hear you're also from a medical background. Although with 40 years experience I must confess you're experience level certainly leaves mine far behind.

I've been in the RAAF for 20 years as of this month, but only 10 in medicine. I was originally an Engineer, before changing to Medicine. I was an Aeronautical Engineer though so not quite as challenging as electrical.

My wife sent me some photos of the quilt, and I've got to say it looks amazing. I especially love the bookshelf and the titles you've so carefully selected.

It was fantastic to hear about your family's black labrador, they are gentle loyal dogs, and ours are also lovingly goofy a lot of the time :-)

I was sorry to hear about your experiences on long distance ships in your youth. If I was in the same position I would also be extremely reluctant to board another ship. My mother came out from England via ocean liner when she was very young, and she can still recall getting bitten by a monkey on Gibraltar on the way across, and the painful injections that had to follow.

 I'm glad you were able to enjoy your more recent cruises however. Like you, we've done the Med, however the north sea remains on our bucket list and I'll take your advice about making sure I bring along some stemetil when we do it.

Thankyou also for your book recommendations. On this deployment whilst we can get busy for short periods we have a lot of spare time and I find myself having more leisure time than I've had for a long while, (certainly since we had children). So I have a good chance to read some books and I think I'll take your advice and give Mick Herron a go.

In closing thankyou again for the time and care you've taken to make this beautiful quilt. It is something that I and my family will treasure and I hope it will become a family heirloom that will stay in the family for many many years.

Enjoy your well earned retirement with your family and all the best for the future.

Gratefully yours

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Good Morning Hilary & Barry A,

 

I am the recipient of the wonderful and intricate quilt that you have made. I am extremely grateful and appreciative as I can see the amount of work that was put on it.

 

Thank you again. It will always keep me warm

 

Please keep up the good work. And please let me know if you need anything that I can help with.

 

Yours Aye

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Hello Anne H,

Just a short note to say that I have recently received an Aussie Hero quilt that was made by you. I must say how much I was impressed by your work and honoured to receive such a gift. The Air Force

theme that was presented within the quilt is excellent. It is a fine memento to receive and will take place of honour in my home in recognition of my Air Force career.

Now a little about my Service career. I joined the Air Force (RAAF) 03 May 1977 and completed over 38 years of full-time service.

Employed in the Logistics field I have served all over the country with postings to Williamtown, Point Cook, Butterworth (Malaysia), Wagga, Sydney, Townsville, and the Blue Mountains. I have been

involved in numerous Military Exercises; one could say I have seen most of our country. My Operational deployments include Timor, Middle East, Iraq, North West Cape, and the Sinai. 

Whilst these Operational locations may sound inviting, they are in reality areas of hardship and difficulty for the people who live there.

In 2015 I discharged from full time service and transition into the Air Force Active Reserves where I still serve at Air Combat Group RAAF Williamtown working 3 days per week. I’m planning on hanging up my boots and retire at the end of 2023.

 I have a partner who is a teacher and have twin 4 year olds (boy and girl). I suppose you could call me a late starter.

In my part time, I enjoy gardening and fishing. In fact, I’m the organiser in taking a group to the Swains Reef in March. We drive to Gladstone QLD and then depart on board a fishing charter for 7

days. Whilst on board we can travel from anything up to 200kms off shore and as far as north as Mackay. It certainly is an adventure.

Being a person of few words, I hope you find my letter of some interest and provide insight to the person whom you made the quilt for. Thank you for your support and all the best to you and your

family.

Yours faithfully

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Dear Jacqui D,

This evening I was greeted by the most beautiful and overwhelming surprise: an Aussie Hero Quilt created by you!

To simply say 'thank-you' would be utterly inadequate to express how truly and deeply grateful I am to you. Quite literally, your quilt will be treasured by me for all of my days and is something that I know will be equally treasured by my wife and children. Your creation is so much more than a quilt - it represents so many memories, both good and challenging, and it tells a story of a life I chose that brought with it both the best and worst of times. Put simply, you have created an heirloom. You are clearly incredibly talented at your craft and I feel blessed beyond words to be the recipient of one of your creations.

Thank you so much

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Hi Anna C,

Thank you so much for my beautiful "cat, dark blue, water, white flower" inspired laundry bag! I love love love it and it really is so so pretty. It is even better than anything I could have envisioned, you are so very creative!

It was lovely to also receive your letter along with the laundry bag and loved having some insight into the process and your life! I very much appreciate the time you spent on putting together such a personalised and just such an "me" bag. 

I'm currently posted to HMAS Anzac which is a west-based Frigate and we are about to deploy on a 5 month trip as of April 2023. So yes this laundry bag will absolutely be well used and loved! 

To answer your question about my cat, I do have one! Well my family has one, his name is Max and we got him when I was probably around 10 or 11 years old. He is white and tabby (and also very fat) unlike my new bag cat but I still love my new little man just as much as Max! Now to think of a name....

Thank you again for my beautiful bag and the time you've taken to create it, I will use it every day!

Kindest regards,

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Sue N,

I have just returned from the Solomon Islands, and have finally had a chance to open the quilt. Thank you so much for the work you do, this quilt is beautiful and matched the description perfectly.

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Hi Pennie T

I am private with 8/9RAR and am currently in Malaysia. 

Thank you for the Laundry Bag. It helps a lot and all of the boys are very happy the Laundry bags. I really liked this one.

Kind Regards,

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Hi Fran T,

That is a beautiful quilt, that means so much to me. That will be the first thing I take when leaving my home.

I know how much work would go into making that quilt, my partner is now into sewing clothes, and I realise how precious the skill that is required to do it. It's great you're using your skill for such a great cause.

I go for the Cowboys because I'm a local NQLDer, even when they lose, I just cry a little.

The quilt is great, thank you again

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Dear Rachel B & Keryn M,

I wish to express my sincere thanks for your beautiful gift (laundry bag) which I so gratefully received a few days ago.

How incredibly talented you both are! I sent a photo of it to my mum in Newcastle, who was also impressed & passed on her own thanks & admiration for supporting our troops in such a caring way. Actually, Rachel,  you two might be peas in a pod, as she too is an avid bushwalker / backpacker for well over 35 yrs (regularly does the Six foot Track in the Blue Mtns) & worldwide traveller.

Although I'm new to Chaplaincy, I'm not new to the ADF as this is my 36th year of service in the Army including time overseas. I've seen many "works of the heart" proudly displayed from the barracks to offices  to workshops, Q stores, & even in the backs of vehicles in the middle of nowhere - so I'm looking forward to showing mine off too.

I'm currently posted to 1st Recruit Battalion, Kapooka in Wagga, where the Army trains its newest Recruits. There are plenty of them so you don't have to worry about ever running out of future "customers".  It's also where I started all those years ago ... I wonder if I ever looked that young!

I encourage you both to keep doing what you're doing for as long as you can, as there are times when your gift brings just the right amount of sunshine into our diggers lives when they are in some of their  darkest moments—in essence they are a reminder of home & a symbol of hope.

Thanks again to you both – God bless.

Regards,

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

Tuesday's would be so totally boring without them!

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