Happy Tuesday Friends!
Welcome to the first blog of November!
We have a great bunch of messages and photos today, so grab a cuppa, sit back and relax while you soak up some well deserved gratitude.
Only 50 sleeps until Christmas Day.
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Dear Pennie T,
It’s taken me all weekend to write this and I am so sorry for my delay – it’s been very emotional since I received the INCREDIBLE quilt you crafted for me on Friday.
Words cannot express the level of gratitude I have for you and all of the work you put into my quilt and the letter you sent me, but every other quilt and laundry bag I’m sure you have made. I will never have the words to express the profound impact receiving a quilt (or laundry bag) has. I was presented mine by a recent recipient in my building, and we both cried our way through the presentation (in front of the Director of Air Force Nursing while she looked on incredulously!!).
I’ve been so incredibly lucky to move people all over the world as a flight nurse with the Air Force, and through my very short notice deployments to the Middle East and Papua New Guinea to organise many quilts and laundry bags for many recipients. Bringing patients home in service (and civilian) aircraft often under (or draped in) their quilts has been one of the most challenging and touching experiences of my career. Having a huge parcel of laundry bags appear for my PNG team when we were at our lowest, with all but myself and our contingent commander being on their first deployment was what saved (and I cannot emphasise that enough) some very young and vulnerable members.
Thank you so much again Pennie,
Kind regards,
(below are a group of letters Ruth S received from members of the 85 Transport Platoon Reunion in Darwin who were presented with laundry bags)
Dear Ruth A and your group of incredible ladies
Thank
you so much for all the fabulous work and throughs to the members of
85 Transport Platoon last month. What a surprise. The looks of great
pleasure on all the faces was just wonderful.
My
husband was thrilled with his.
Best
wishes and Thanks again
---
At
our recent 85 Transport reunion in Darwin, one of the outstanding
points to me was to receive your laundry bag. So, Ruth, many thanks to
you for creating such a great memento. Special thanks to a special
lady.
---
Dear
Ruth
Hi.
I am writing to thank you very much for the laundry bag and indeed
bags you have made that we received at our reunion in Darwin. I can
see you have put a lot of work into making the bags. I have now hung
it up on the wall in the games room. (too good for a laundry bag).
Once again thank you. Your thoughts are appreciated. Kind Regards
---
Dear
Ruth
(Written
on card with following saying)
…That
your kindness is appreciated more than words can say
Thank
you for bringing in a little ray of sunshine and leaving a lot of
happiness behind
This
card says it all. A big thank you for the laundry bag. I am using it
as a wall hanging as it is so nice.
---
Hello
Ruth
Thought
I would write you a personal note to say “thank you “ so much for
the laundry bag given to my husband at our recent reunion in Darwin. The
work and thought put into these bags is very much appreciated. Our
eldest grandson finishes school this year. He is school captain and
now hopes to do his engineering degree in the Army. So some
traditions go on. Hope you and your family keep well.
Kind
regards
...
Dear Lynn K
This is letter is to express absolute gratitude for your laundry bag and your letter within. I was delighted to receive my laundry bag, expertly crafted by yourself on behalf of Aussie Hero Quilts.
Having served in the ADF for over 23 years, I was aware that both laundry bags and quilts were made by volunteers such as yourself and I always delighted in those that I encountered, yet had never received one myself. Unaware of how to request one it has taken many years before the opportunity presented and we got in touch.
On behalf of myself and the fine crew of HMAS Childers, thank you. Through routine inspections and in delivering these parcel’s to the crew, the look of delight on each person’s face talks to the impact these make.
Thank you for sharing about your life and activities. It truly adds a personal touch to your wonderful laundry bag. Mine is perfect thank you. Despite a career focused in air warfare, I have delighted in the submarine that adorns my bag. Especially when telling my anti-submarine warfare colleagues that even I, an air warfare expert, can find a submarine when they cannot. When I then explain that the submarine is clearly visible and right there on my laundry bag, and therefore cannot be that difficult to find, the rolling of their eyes is priceless.
So thank you for assisting me in these moments of friendly rivalry.
Childers is one of only three remaining Armidale Class Patrol Boats. After 17 years of eventful service in the RAN she will continue supporting the patrol boat force until 2027, when a newer generation of warship will take her place. Our work is demanding and ceaseless, travelling thousands of miles while on patrol in support of Australia’s maritime domestic security. In concert with Australia’s Border Force vessels we are frequently employed in support of fisheries and immigration work. Thank you for your efforts in supporting us at sea.
Your home town sounds wonderful and I feel I may have passed through it during a brief respite of leave some years back. You reside in a beautiful part of the nation where some of the best surf can be had.
I wish you the best and appreciate the time taken during your days to create these wonderful works.
...
Hi Ruth S,
We all received our laundry bags today and absolutely loved them. Thank you so much for including my Garfield design. I will use it with great pride!
Kind Regards
...
Hi Gayle W,
Thank you very much for the taking the time to both sew me a laundry bag and write a letter. It was lovely to learn a little bit about your life and to see the results of your hard work! You are truly a very talented sewer.
Your property sounds amazing, the combination of the warmer weather, space, animals and proximity to your family is brilliant plus pineapples in s my absolute favourite so I'm jealous that you have it in your backyard! I imagine it would be a lovely place to live. I am currently located in Canberra like your daughter - maybe one day I will cross paths with her.
Lastly thank you again for making me a laundry bag, it was so impressive! Especially your ability to create a camel and the Burj Al Arab!. I really appreciate both your time and effort.
...
(Anne sent a thank you to an Army member currently in South Sudan who donated a prize for the Friday Volunteers Gathering at the AHQ weekend. This is his reply)
Hi Anne H,Thank you very much for your lovely e-mail, and I am glad that the earrings are both a good size for travel and something a little different that you will enjoy.
Your story makes me realize just how small a world it is. My wife is currently the Station Leader on Macquarie Island. She did her first Station Leader role as part of Op Southern Discovery, and has since left the RAN to work for the Australian Antarctic Division. She is currently on her third deployment to Antarctica, and I agree that it is a long way from South Sudan!! At least now we can communicate via WhatsApp and Skype - for her first trip the stations didn't have the bandwidth for video calls!Thank you for your lovely quilts and laundry bags. I know the team here really do appreciate the work that you and all of the volunteers do to support those of us deployed overseas.And I trust the weekend was a great success, and a good opportunity for everyone to meet and catch-up and enjoy each other's company.Thank you again and enjoy the earrings..
Kind regards
...
Good morning Gail MacQ,
I hope you and your family are well.
I just wanted to send you a quick email to thank you for your kindness. I received a laundry bag when I was serving at 2 Cdo Regt and have utilised it on every course since.
I am currently packing to head off on another 6 week course and it is always the first thing that I pack.
Thank you for your generosity, thank you for all the support you provide through Aussie Hero Quilts and thank you for the heartfelt letter you left in the laundry bag when I received it a few years ago.
Regards,
...
Hi Moira M,
...
Hello Kathy W,
...
Dear Kristan H,
Firstly, I must apologise for how long it has taken me to get around to writing this – I flew back in from the Middle East in late July, but only had 2 weeks back home before I deployed again (with a ship this time). But, it was lovely to come home to the Quilt waiting for me.
Thank you so much for the quilt, I absolutely love it. As both a Harry Potter nerd, and a Richmond tragic (even though it seems the season is over for us already!), it’s perfect! I managed to get to the Harry Potter Studio Tour in London while I was on my mid-deployment leave, and got to live my childhood fantasy of getting my Hogwarts Letter!
I met Jan-Maree last year, and have kept in touch with her since. I popped over to her place to pick up some Laundry Bags for my crew before we deployed last year, and ended up spending a few hours talking to her, seeing all of her quilts and supplies, and realising how many mutual friends and connections we had. Her passion for AHQ is contagious, and I know everyone who receives a Quilt or a Laundry Bag is so thankful for them.
I’ve been in the Navy for almost 9 years now, joining straight out of High School. I’ve loved (almost) every minute of it, and have been to some awesome places I otherwise wouldn’t have travelled to. Although, I am looking forward to getting home to Canberra next year and having a bit of time ashore.
Thank you so much again. I’ve promised Jan-Maree I will be at the AHQ Thank You Dinner next year (after having to miss last year and this years due to deployments), so hopefully I might run into you there and get the chance to say thank you in person.
Until next week keep your letters, emails and photos coming in.
