Maggie - First Painting!

Below is a pic of my first ever Oil Painting, called "Proteas", done during my time of "in between jobs"...hope it isn't going to be the last one. Thanks to Marge for being my art teacher!

Adi - Paintings

Popsie, mainly for you who said you hadn't seen my paintings, the first two are copies of original artists...

Here's me and the updated third painting...I'm calling this one finished now.

Marj - learning about the Blog!

Got Markus sitting next to me trying with great patience ,to show me how to use this great website, thanks... quite fun! Don't know if I'll get here on my own again, but check out my art on http://marjlee.deviantart.com/ in the meantime, and let me know what you think!

On the left, is my latest!

John - Marilyn to present Antartica

Marylou has been having a bit of trouble with headaches and her neck, so took herself off to a neurosurgeon. He was about as helpful as a bevy of others (and more expensive), but did find out from her that she turns photos into video. He has commissioned her to put together his Antarctic holiday.
Earning her keep, she is.

John - Magdalena, the Jobhopper

After waiting three months to find the "right" job, Magda has landed up with the Hilton Group. This after starting the day before at a place closer to home, only to have a potential career position offered. JOBHOPPER!

Hope it goes well.

Mark - Life in Cape Town

So - somewhat of a late entrant into the Wellsy Blog, but here comes the Cape Town contingent. Hey, its been tough - all that wine to drink, golf to play, sand to dust off the feet etc, and you know us Capies are a bit slow.

So things have settled nicely for us. We have moved into Nix's little beach pad. My house is rented out to Nix's uncle and aunt at the moment (they leave in August so anyone that knows anyone that wants to rent a 3 bed in CT from Sept, let us know) so we find ourselves closer to the sea than the Ballito Wellsies. Admittedly, we don't have that view!

Nix has found herself a job - IT sales with a company called Bytes Technology Group (BTG). She is in her second week and still nervy, but will be brilliant at it I think. She managed to tweak the interest of three companies before choosing BTG - didn't I marry well!

And then there's the Peanut... suffering in hot weather (the hottest she saw in her first year of life was 18 degrees!!) and has a horrid ear infection, so we are drugging her effectively and keeping her smiling. She has swollen little ear drummies, poor thing. Happy though, and far more social than when you all saw her last. She asks for hugs from strangers now. She also says a few words...
1. "Guth" - My father-in-law's dog, AuGUStus
2. "Fisss" - Every time we go past the sea... cant work out if this is her word for Fish or for Sea, but we think she is clever
3. "Che" - Her Aunty, Loushe.
4. "Joos" - I'm thirsty, parents!!!

Note a distinct lack of Mama, dada, papa, blah blah... we feel most loved!!

And then, yours truly. Sitting on his butt, gnawing on a piece of biltong and enjoying the highlights of the Super 14 (for the 10th time today) and thinking that in precisely an hour Nix gets home and I haven't made the bed or done the dishes yet. I am going to like retirement I think. I haven't REALLY started looking for work yet - went to a useless head hunter on recommendation and didn't bother following up. Spoke to a few IT people to let them know I was in town. Oh, and I am up in JHB on Thursday to see an old business partner of mine from Switzerland. No clue what he wants, but if he takes the trouble to get my new number and call me from Geneva, I guess I should meet him for a cuppa? They have just opened in JHB, so maybe he wants a janitor. Will let you all know.

Anyway, have been far too lazy to take pics, so my blog entry will be far more boring than all of yours, but thats our news for now. Pics of a walking, talking Peanut in future editions... if my wife gives me allowance to buy a digital camera!

Adi - Third oil painting

Hi Guys, here's a pic of my third oil painting. Although it needs a few last little touch-ups and changes, I though I'd put it up anyway. It's one of those biggies....1m X 1.5m.

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Marilyn - Grandparents on the Wells side

A new John Michael (4 February 1947) with his Dad Wesley Elderkin (26 April 1904) and Mum Margaret Thackeray (2 May 1911). No wonder they called their kids John and Joan! Peg's maiden name was Rhind, and both her parents were born in Scotland. She was a Durban lass.

Bill followed his lineage back a couple of generations, all Western Cape born. He maintained he couldn't go back too far back "because there had to be Hotnot there somewhere!"

Bill & Peg married in 1946, after Bill returned from three years as a PoW in North Africa, Italy & Germany.

The only one of his grandparents that John knew was his Mom's Mom - Sophie Rhind.

John as a new born with his parents

John aged about 10 with his Dad. Taken on holiday in East London. This is the first place John put on a diving mask & fell in love with the sea.

John with his Mom at his 21st.