Scrapbook Saturday 4/10: In Memoriam

Click pic to enlarge.
My Great Uncle Thomas William (Willi) Regan who after doing a stint in the Irish Guards in Dublin & London left Co Sligo in 1914 aged 19 and joined F Troop of the 3rd US Cavalry at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. He was with them from 1914 to 1917, patrolling the border with Mexico. When WW1 broke out he joined the Military Police as a horseshoer and was posted to Camp Wadsworth, Spartanburg, SC, a huge training camp for troops preparing to go over to the battlefields of France & Flanders to fight the Germans in World War One. Sadly he never got there as he died, as did millions of others, in the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918.(Its been estimated that more people died from the flu during that period than all the people killed in the Great War!) This month is the 90th anniversary of his death. He was 23 and is buried in the military cemetery in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

The Regan family were farmers in Mullaghnaneane (pronounced Mullinane) near Drumcliff in Co.Sligo, Ireland, and there are still descendents living and farming in the area today.

This is one of the many postcards he sent to my Granny Elise (Elizabeth Regan,the lady in my previous vintage SS posts) and which I have used to create kaleidescopes for the background of the scrap page with a clever program called 'Dazzling Reflections' from Poppy Hill Designs.

Don't forget to hop on over to MammaDawg.com and add yourself to the SS blogroll.

Where's the chicken Max?

The Chicken - Max's favourite toy. Sadly now gone to chicken heaven!He's gone through 3 so far!!

Ruby Tuesday

Just some of my pressed and carnival glass collection.

Why not join in and post a Ruby Tuesday picture yourself, the rules are simple. Just post a picture with red in it, it can have as little or as much as you like, but it must be one of your own and it can be of anything you like. For more details hop over to Mary the Teach at Work of the Poet and check out the blogroll.

My Diet Monday: Week One - 280lbs

Today is my 100th Post and as a special celebration I am starting a new thread, which will follow me on my journey to Weight Loss Land. I hope you will join me on my journey and be my companions over the coming months in my search for the Great Goalweight. I will need all the encouragement I can get as I battle the Dreaded Munchies and the Rumbly Tumbleys :-).

Over the last few years the weight has been piling on and I am ashamed to admit that I have now reached the horrendous total of 20 stone(280lbs - GASP)!!! And as I am only 5' 2" this is not a good look - not to mention the health implications involved. In fact I am doing a very good impression of Jabba the Hutt from Star Wars!

Last week was going to be the first week, but unfortunately myself and hubby both went down with gastroenteritis! Although I did lose the magnificent sum of 8lbs over 2 days, as this was all fluid it has now been regained and I am back to where I was at the beginning of last week.

As this is the 1st week of the month, I figured this would be as good a time as any to grasp the nettle and get going. I also figured doing it so publicly would give me the added incentive I need. (Although it's taken a lot of courage to actually admit how heavy I had become!).

As I need a kick start to lose the first 2 or 3 stone fairly quickly for health reasons, I will be on the SlimFast diet for the first 10 weeks and then a more regulated healthy eating regime from then on. I know some people will not approve, but I also think one has to use what works for them & I know this will work for me - or should do. This is a long term project divided into 3 month sub sections. So the first sub section will take me up to Xmas & New Year and the goal is to lose a minimum of 2 stone, but preferably up to 3 in that time frame.

Every Monday I will post an update of my progress and let you all know how I am getting on - wish me luck :-)