Grati-Tuesday 6th August 2024

 

Happy Tuesday Friends!

 Welcome to the first post for August. 

A short but sweet blog this week with beautiful messages from around the globe and some awesome images, so grab a cuppa, sit back and relax while you soak up some well deserved gratitude. 

Only 81 sleeps away until the Thank You dinner. 

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Hi Kathryn W, 

Massive massive Thank you for the quilt. Please find a photo of me perched on my ship’s forecastle (HMAS Broome) with this work of art. 

It was so lovely hearing about you and your husbands obsession with golfing and pray you’ll get back to NZ for a hit sometime soon.

I hope Adelaide isn’t too cold for you, however I hear a dip in the ocean and a little cold plunge go a long way. I’ve got a cousin in Glenelg and last time I visited, I loved it.

Yours aye,

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Dear Shirley D,

 I received the laundry bag and the bonus Tim Tams today, the Laundry bag looks fantastic and was exactly what I was looking for. The bonus Tim Tam are going down a treat and I have shared them with my team. It’s these little treats that make life over here so much better and Tim Tams definately remind us of home.

I shared your letter with the rest of the team and in reading it does remind us how easy we really do have it in comparison to those who we follow, thankfully we do not have to face the adversities now that your father faced and the risk of getting injured here is very low, in fact we probably get more people injured playing sport than we do in conflict.

I know the area you live well as I live not far from there, I can only dream of living on a golf course. While I do play a little golf  I am definately not in your or your families league and am probably one of those players who frustrate you by holding you up as you go around the course. I need to spend a bit of time on the driving range to get the ball going long and straight.

 You will note by my signature box that I am not an ADF member but in fact an Australian Public Servant (APS), infact I am one of only four deployed APS members here supporting the ADF, we APS do however deploy under the same arrangements and conditions as the ADF colleagues and live in the same base.

Thank for all your work supporting the Aussie Hero Quilts I know that everyone who recieves a quilt or laundry bag are all thrilled to receive them, I know this as everytime a batch arrives everyone is talking about them and showing them off.

Hopefully its not to cold and windy at the moment for you to get in a couple of rounds of golf.  

Regards

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Good Evening Bev F , Gail Mac and Sheena B, 

I just wanted to touch base and let you know that I’ve just returned home from my 4.5 month deployment to Bahrain. The first thing I did, after greeting my husband and 2 teenage boys was to open my AHQ parcels!

I absolutely love the quilt that you made for me, it captures everything and I especially loved the pineapples, camels and flag for both countries! So incredible. I may have to learn to quilt when I eventually retire from the RAAF because I too would love to do something for our deployed personnel.

I loved reading about yourselves and your families. 

I am originally from SA not far from the Barossa Valley I’m guessing that’s where your son is Sheena.

That’s absolutely incredible that both your husband and son served for over 30 years each! Congratulations to them both.

And Gail, my husband and I are working towards our retirement plan at the moment and that includes living on a yacht for a few years. We’ve always been boat and ocean people but are now keen to spend a few years learning how to sail.

I’ve been serving since I was 17, I joined in May of 2001. 23 years and still going for a few more yet. This deployment was my 4th, twice to the Middle East, once to Indonesia after the devastating tsunamis in 2005 and again to the Solomon Islands on peacekeeping in 2004. Luckily for me I was not in danger and did not get injured on any of them.

My husband and I met in the RAAF at recruit training, he got out after serving 12 years. He now works for Boeing on the Apache Helicopter project. We have 2 teenage boys and both are hoping to join the RAAF as engineers, my eldest is waiting for his letter of offer at the moment and could be at ADFA by late January.

Anyway I best get back to making our dinner. 

Thanks again for my lovely quilt, I’ll treasure it for years to come and maybe one day it will be an heirloom that I can pass onto grandkids?!

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Good Morning Noelene W,

I have recently received the beautiful laundry bag you have designed and created. 

I would like to reach out to say a big thank you for your hard work and amazing talent with the laundry bag. It’s something I wish I had the skills to do… maybe I will learn one day. 

I’m excited because your laundry bag has just been packed and will come with me on our field exercise which we are leaving for this morning.

Thank you once again Noelene, it’s so special and I will treasure this little laundry bag haha

I hope you have a great week ahead of you.

Thank you again, all the best.

Kind Regards,

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Laundry Bag made by Jenny R. Members thank you was published in last weeks blog.

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

Tuesday's would be so totally boring without them!

🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻