Happy Pax

The Christmas goodies parcels have reached my two adoptee's and I am officially a HAPPY PAX

My Army adoptee P writes...

We just got the package here and already decorated our post office with it. The Australian theme is very badass and I think that we have the best decorations on base to be honest. Thank you so much!
 

 and Marine Adoptee D writes...

"Thank you so much! I don’t have the vocabulary to explain how excited I was to receive some mail. I didn’t look in the stocking, waiting till Christmas morning to check it out"
 

Winner! - Poppy Coin Contest

Recently I ran a competition to win a rare coin that was issued to celebrate Remembrance Day here in Australia

There were a couple of heart-felt entries and a winner has been chosen

Old NFONovember 13, 2012 5:02 AM
I'd like to win this as a reminder of my Father, who was in WWI and fought through Belgium, which is where the poppys grew and were immortalized in the poem "In Flanders Fields".

Also, it reminds me of the ties I've made with the RAN, including being honored to participate in the Remembrance ceremony aboard USS Parramata in 2009 at Stirling.

CONGRATULATIONS! - and please contact me with your delivery address for posting

And in other news...

Santa stocking boxes were shipped off to my two adoptee's mid-month... hopefully they will receive them soon

And "in home" news.  I had my first job interview in 15 years today.  It mostly went well despite my having chronic "bad hearing" today (still have an on-going ear infection that the Doctors all agree is "nasty" but have no options on the healing of it other than "take the medication we've given you; apply the drops to your ears - give it time")  Ehhh...

Oh and my trip to Melbourne last week for a training course went well too.  I got to spend one whole day playing "Tourist" (14 hours in a tour bus - eek!).  Couple of photos below

Loch Ard Gorge

The Apostles Rocks (only 8 now!)

Due to lack of numbers the Tour company cancelled the night-time visit to Philip Island Penguin parade which I was a bit sad about. However I stumbled upon the Melbourne Aquarium during my Friday lunch break and spent a happy 40 minutes seeing the exhibits especially their live penguin display.

Add comment

 

Operation Santa Stockings 2012

I have been working on the Troop Treat Christmas parcels that I am about to send off to my two Soldiers' Angels troopers. [one is my "Official" adoptee - a Marine. The other I meet via the letter team and is my "Unofficial-but-I-Like-to-send-him-emails" friend]

Still a work in progress so final photos yet to come (I need to find shipping boxes big enough to take all the goodies yet not too big that it will cost me $ to ship from Australia. That is part of tomorrow's quest).

All the goodies laid out and ready. (sorry for the blurriness!)

 

Stockings stuffed with all manner of fun things :)

I have included a marsupial toy with each - just because I can!

 

And I have just hand made two Aussie Christmas

wreaths (they are a bit "fluffy" but will hopefully make the

Lads smile)

 

 

Rest of the parcels include Christmassy balloons, and garlands, a mini pop-up tree; and decorations Oh My!  Also some mini candy-canes - and if I can remember to obtain tomorrow - a packet of Musk Sticks each (mwhahaha... my equivalent of "Coal" it the boys have been naughty :D)

 

You may have guessed by now that I adore sending Troop Treats - it really makes me feel like I am able to give back to those that need the Love and Care.



Parcel (almost) away!

The Last of the Adoptee's Christmas cheer parcel is all set to go - will take it to the Post Office tomorrow and pay eek-ful airmail prices so that it reaches Airman G in time.

I feel a bit bad - this one was supposed to be all done and gone almost a week ago (just after I agreed to adopt him), however health and other life interruptions happened unfortunately.

SO here are a few photos of the parcel.

Slightly different style for the wreath due to my running out of Gum leaves
(the flower is wattle if anyone is curious). And the Silver bells are really jangly.
(heh heh heh)

A small Santa sack of goodies!
Not made by me - got them from HERE

The rest of the box is full of tinsel garlands / decorations and
sugar candy canes - something to add sparkle to his bunk/work area.
I use the Tinsel as packing material to hold it all secure - my regular
Postal Office is highly amused at having to snip off the odd "sticking-out bit"

So that is the three Soldiers' Angels adoptees taken care of.  I'll be sending something more food related to the Marine group (there are 15 of them so it's a bit harder to send individual stockings and still be able to pay the mortgage.  What I wouldn't give to win the lottery right now!)

I guess I should also look at heading to bed.  It's past midnight here and I am guessing my work would find it a nice change not to have "Zombie-Mari" shuffling about the place till the first batch of caffeine kicks in.

Good Night to you all!

July roundup

Wow - not quite sure where the month of July went but it's gone gone gone (well.. in just under 3 hours here in Australia it will be)

So just a bit of a recap of the July Pax zone

*Water Balloon launchers dispatched to all my adoptee's - no International incidents reported (so far)

* Birthday present organised for Adoptee #3

*Item of solar protection ordered for a friend - should be amusing when that one turns up

*The usual cards, postcards and letters sent off weekly - hopefully NOT boring their socks off

*Some friendship badges sent off to Mr Coffeypot - he has a reunion coming up shortly and said they would be treasured by his fellow shipmates

* Oh.. and some Musk sticks went off to the winner of the caption contest. I believe he is *thrilled* (or was it terrified?  Definitely one of those "T" words I'm sure)

I have also begun the gathering of items for the handmade Christmas wreaths and Koala Santa stockings that I will be making shortly.  All three of my current adoptee's will be home by December so it's forward planning for the next batch of bewildered American Troops (aka the lucky lucky souls - Bwhahaha :D)

In "at home" news - I have committed to almost $4K of new doors for the veranda - installation in about 5 weeks, which will segue nicely into my planned two weeks of recreation leave [which will be now spent painting the new doors/framework etc. Sadly finishing wasn't included in the price ;( ]

And my parents may return home from their extended bush holiday shortly.  I have received the occasional text message advising me of their continuing wellness, but no word on whether they have found fabulous gems or Lasseter's Reef  (gold & gem fossicking grey nomads can be cagey about that sort of information :D)

Pink Pony by Pax

Santa stockings have begun to reach "the guys" - JJ got his yesterday and advises that he's already devoured the accompanying Timtams...

But what's that you ask? How did I manage to get some Australian themed Santa Stockings to the boys downrange??

Well firstly I took outrageous advantage of the lovely guys at Simply Australian who advised that if I could find some Aussie Santa bags, then they could fill them with a selection of goodies and post out (they are based in the USA so there would be no picky Customs officers checking on the contents and delaying delivery by weeks).

Hmm... Aussie themed Santa bags... that was a bit tricky. But luckily the Australian Koala Foundation had just the very thing I needed AND they came in a handy 3-pack too!

They are actually wine bottle bags so they won't hold very much however they WILL look excellently Aussie to the average American eye (got to work to our audience you know :D)

Bags purchased, received via mail and then posted off International Airmail to Simply OZ in Ohio.  They arrived a few weeks later and then began the fun and games of "so what will actually fit into these"

Luckily Dave from SimplyOz has a great sense of Humour, a tape measure and a mobile phone...


rather tight!




Well that one won't fit!

Dave gave suggestions and offered advice, and eventually we found enough things to make it a proper Santa Stocking (i.e lots of sweets and a toy in the bottom!)

After sending them payment, they boxed up each stocking (along with a packet of Timtams each) and shipped them off Downrange for me.



One packed - two to go!

I didn't have the heart to have a note attached to them reading

"NOT TO BE OPENED TILL CHRISTMAS" 

as I figured that K, C & JJ might need a sugar hit before the 25th.

So Merry Christmas guys - from your Aussie Angel. I hope that you stay safe and well and come home soon to your families.

*******

Oh and the Pink Pony???  Well JJ asked me if I could possibly send him a replacement for his workshop mascot (it's apparently had a wee bit of an accident).

So my shopping foo was great and I found him "the very thing".  I have to say it's not quite what I imagine when I think "Big Tough Army Guys" but I'm sure it will give them a giggle.

And before any of you go "Bad Evil Pax" - it's *exactly* what he requested (well.. he did say I could choose the colour :D)

Pax'ing Presents

I've been busy ordering & shipping things off all over the place this month.

Two of my adopted soldiers had birthdays this month - so interest appropriate gifts were found and ordered and hopefully reached them (JJ's still home on leave so he should find his when he gets back to base).  So Happy Birthday to K & JJ - and I hope that your day was peaceful, quiet and spent hearing from loved ones.

Some goodies have also been ordered for Brandon & his team mates.  Some long sleeved shirts shipped out from Amazon during the week; and an order of Aussie munchies, including the pin that I love to send my Adopted troops, has been placed with the USA based Aussie supply group - Simply Australian.  I heartily recommend this company if you are looking for Aussie munchies and other goodies - the owners are true-blue and super honest & helpful (one of them is even helping me with "Operation: 2010 Santa Stockings").  They have shipped goodies off to all of my adoptee's (and a number of "RAK" - random acts of kindness - troops that I have found via friends online) and I have never had any problems.


Two Flags

Actually at some point I should get myself one of these pins so I can wear it on my work blazer (along with one of these from Soldiers' Angels).  Lol.. one day I'll get organised enough to order something for me :)

And in the "Pax has been crafty" - last weekend saw my bestest friend Cozzles over and helping me create some Kitschy Christmas Cheer (try saying THAT three times quickly!)   Some photos are below of the creations (minus any action shots of "Pax discovers that Glue Gun Glue is HOT!!!" or of C laughing herself silly at my attempting to throw the hot glued item away from me... yeah yeah... glue is STICKY too... *grumps*)  The Flowers & Leaves are all fabric/artificial so hopefully the USA customs crowd won't have a conniption fit (the customs slip will have it listed as "wire based / artificial flowers decoration")


Items gathered - glue gun primed - lets begin!



Belled and be-ribboned



and en-beared!



Finished!!

Two are completed - the third almost done (I ran out of ribbon).  Soon they will be twisted slightly out of shape (so they can fit in the boxes that will only cost me an arm and half a leg to post airmail to the States) and sent off to my three adopted soldiers for a spot of goofy Aussie Christmas cheer.   

I have a few of the central belled & beared decorations left so a few of you may just receive something goofy in the post. Bwhahahah!!!

Operation Santa Stockings - the continuing story

News just in from Izzy that the box of Santa Stockings has arrived safely to his base.  No word from Martins 2IC as yet  (I don't have the SSG's contact information - D'oh!) but I'm hopeful their batch will make it through soon.

And credit where credit is due - Vicki (the super-wonderful and massively organised) in California did all the hard work on these - she obtained the stockings and the sweets & cookies & all the extra bits; stuffed  & sent them. Pretty much all I did was supply the aussie bits & pieces and the toasty-warm things ; the name lists (since the troops are the team mates of two of my adopted soldiers) and some of the postal funds.  I think she'll be more wary next time I say "I have an idea"... :)

And now for some more pictures of a few of the things that were sent to our special troops [full contents are classified just in case this list is being monitored by those who are about to receive]

Your standard basics for troops trapped in Icy Climes - toasty toes, hothands and I think some other type of warmer too [it's been months since we started shopping for the project so brain-fuzzies on details will occur]

To the left you can see some of the multitudes of aussie toys that were sent to them. And somewhere under that pile are a batch of single serve Vegemite packs (why yes - we Aussies *do* enjoy sharing our weird national food)

The Teams are both made up of mixed troops so Vicki made sure the girls all got Pink Stockings (the boys Red or Blue ones). Final lists were thankfully sent to us in November with M or F on them averting a near pink-tragedy for one poor soul with a multi-gender-use name.

Vicki added extra sweets and cookies to fill the stockings up.

 

She also included a packet of peppermint candy canes to each box - thinking that the team could share with others on their bases or even hand out to the local children.

Gift tags were then attached to each stocking (note the glitter on them? - she hand applied the sparkles to jazz up the cards)

And finally they were all ready to ship out.

By the end of it - 23 stockings all up - containing a mix of Aussie & American items.  Sure hope the teams find them fun to open come Christmas Day.

Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.

....Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more! [The Grinch - Dr Seuss]

Operation Santa Stocking has begun to take place - goodies of the good variety (some even aussie!) are wending their way to my friend Vicki in California to compile and contain and then to stuff into stockings (25 in all).

Then Dash away, Dash away, Dash away all

Now if only the US postal service doesn't stuff up Christmas will prove to be fun for two of my adopted soldiers and their teams :)

[and yes.. I realise it's only October but the final posting has to happen late November to make it to the middle east in time]