Umina at 'Dime a Dozen'

On Malcolm's recommendation today I visit the little cafe up the road called 'Dime a Dozen'.

Unfortunately the name reflects its style and quality, although the coffee was not bitter and quite nice. There are no newspapers, a must for me, so I may just have pop down to Bremen's for another coffee and get that much needed newspaper hit at the same time.

Last night I did a return to my old ballroom days at Gosford Senior Citizens with Canadian teacher Helen still at the helm, having recently celebrated her eightieth birthday someone whispered to me. She is astounding as with the occasional 'lift' she looks just fifty and dances like a twenty year old. The secret is in the dance and it's the same of course with Scottish Country, they have the secret of a healthy long life also. I enjoy my return but am not sure if I will make it a weekly pilgrimage. I will just wait and see.

Tonight is my Scottish Country Dancing which is a regular Wednesday night gig.

The scene in this little café with the boss having a coke and sandwich for lunch. Makes me miss Memphis Belle even more, but moving was my conscious decision and now I make the most of it.

The lovely succulent pot-plant Cherel gave me from her Mum's house...I now have two essentials from her which make living here more comfy, and beautiful! It is amazing just how much a living plant does to raise the morale and here is a great example hiding in a sunny corner on the bare, very hot cement at the entrance to my humble cabin. 

Et voilà some healthy kale, simply prepared by massaging the green leaves with some of this excellent pink salt and black pepper along with a sprinkling of virgin olive oil, enough times for a few meals with a main.

I must thank my last house-mate, Californian Barbara, for this hint, a very good one which I now use regularly. A recent email tells me she too has quit windy Wellie and is now  in Sumatra en route to the US to be home in time for the historic elections. I can't wait for them to be over and the circus, often not at all funny, goes home and the Democrats are brought back.

My home is normally always full of art-work with memorabila covering my walls, but here I have nothing, or nearly nothing, as all is in transit. However a photo I took of the great James Morrison with the late fabulous chanteuse Su Cruickshank, is now stuck right above my tiny CD player. It has great memory for me of fifteen years ago when I had a photographic studio in Newcastle. These two really loved each other and were a magical jazz duo. Valé Su!

And as for music, my trusty i-pad mini set to FM one brings me beautiful classical music all day. You will see above are memories of my Maori Kapa-Haka, with my lovely poi made by Chanel and the very important Taonga presented to me by my Whanau of Takatāpui in Wellington. 

These are such valuable memories to keep with me as I accustom myself to my new Woy Woy life. Spike Millgan said about fifty years ago when his parents lived here, that WW was the biggest above-ground cemetery in the world. Well I am here to say that he was right,  although now it's very much bigger with the Aussie ageing population increasing exponentially!

Below the music is the HU, the most beautiful Sound, without which I would not be here. Next to it is my other lfe-saver, WD-40, I always keeps some handy. With these two helpers I can meet the modern world on any level,  lol!