I have a 'toe hold" in San Francisco. I love the Bay Area in all its natural wonder and diversity. It energizes me. I'm returning as of November.

I am probably freer and less encumbered than anytime in my life and everything changes.

I worked in Public Mental Health for the past 21 years, supervising a casework program that served folks with severe mental illness in the community. Before that I did various construction work and " family farmed it"; growing organic veggies before it was cool, befriending chickens (once you name em you just can't eat em) and endlessly gathering, splitting, cutting, stacking, and burning wood and repeat.

I've been married one time, have two children who are now adults (fully functioning, productive, happy; thankfully). I have two grandsons who are just so "Lord of the Flies" great ( without the ritual killing, of course). They have reminded me what a thrill it is to turn over rocks, checking out the salamanders, worms and insects.

I recently purchased a small house near Chautauqua Lake in rural Western NY State near my daughter and grandchildren. Beautiful place to be in the summer.

I'd be lying if I said I really knew what I'm doing. Does anyone ? After securing an identity through work and relationship over the past 40 years I've discovered I am not quite as solid as I thought. While I need to feel productive, creative and moving forward , there is, no need to hurry, no where to go , nothing to do. Yet hoping for a deep and mindful love at this stage of my life

Hanging with my grandsons, walking Ryder, my daughters Golden Retriever, enjoying the beautiful lake that is nearby.

In 2010 I spent 4 months at two ashrams/yoga centers/ intentional communities; Mount Madonna near Watsonville, CA and the Himalayan Institute in the Pocono Mountains, PA. I am affiliated with Buddhist meditation groups. This practice, essentially non religous in nature has become an important aspect of my being in the world.

I sometimes read incessantly ( I get lost in a good wall paper, graffiti or any written words), walk around, think too much, fantasize, joke at my own expense and seem to get through the day nicely, thank you. Fortunately , I do not talk to myself or appear to be responding to any internal stimuli. I like libraries , book stores, vegan restaurants, and hiking around anywhere, city and country.

I am always open to traveling to new places.

I bird watch.
I get hooked on HBO and Showtime Series with ensemble casts.

I'm here on OKC and would very much like to find a partner in life, a companion in contagious creative living; liberal, family oriented, spontaneous and conscious. I am not looking for someone to make me happy as that is always already here.

Organizing stuff and watching it disorganize, anticipating what I need to do next then not always following through. Appreciating the natural world and keeping a healthy body/mind in a world that is not so healthy. Processing regrets, ad nauseam. Procrastinating (see above). Cooking fresh food (Indian, Middle Eastern). Wishing I had the discipline to play the guitar really well.. Paying library fines because I take out too many books and read slowly. Ignoring people because I'm shy at times then working hard to dispel the notion that I'm arrogant or uncaring.

Not smiling and seemingly preoccupied.....Hmmmmm, pensive or stupid , who knows?

I'm quiet and as I warm up wickedly funny or maybe just funny or maybe just wicked depending on the situation.

Currently reading "The Wise Heart" by Jack Kornfield. Recently read "Freedom" by Jonathan Franzen , "Just Kids" by Patti Smith and "Outliers" by Gladwell. Rediscovered John Irving (Owen Meany) after many years. I read Henry Miller as a young man and now would like to revisit him. Anais Nin is superb. Keith Richards, "Life". I just had to, I'm such a freaking groupie. I like books by Himalayan Swamis; Swami Rama and Baba Hari Das. Poetry; The Beats, Kenneth Patchen, Mary Oliver, e e cummings, Richard Bruatigan and on and on.

All kind of movies.

Most of my "news" comes from Democracy Now, NY Times, Bill Maher, The Real News, and listening to the crows around my house. Sometimes the news is so bad I just listen to the crows.

Music-Rairoad Earth, Tom Waits, Rickie Lee Jones, Neko Case, Yo Yo Ma, Doc Watson, Iris Dement, John Prine, Charles Lloyd, Hank Williams (not Jr.), Kinks, Captain Beefheart, Coltrane, Marley, Kronos Quartet, Lucinda Williams, James Brown, Wilco, Beach Boys, The Black Keys, Mumford and Sons, Horseflies, Donna the Buffalo and on and on and...

I like Nat Geo Wild on cable particularly that "soap opera" starring monkees in India.

I try to eat fresh food, not quite a vegetarian but just some fish no other meat. I enjoy cooking and eating out at vegan places. Thai, Vietnamese, and etc.

Occasional peace of mind, good nights sleep, , family, hope even if it boarders on magical thinking ( I think it has to, right?), a rational mind with irrational tendencies , a warm receptive body-mind and a smile.

What I'm thinking about and why I waste so much time and energy thinking about it.

Watching a movie and generally wondering why I'm not; helping someone , out contra dancing, drinking sweet wine and tossing twigs into a campfire, riding my bicycle , running around in the woods maybe naked (probably not) , swimming in a moonlit pond, spinning a prayer wheel, drumming , chanting to Ganesh , or serving someone.

That my dreams are definitely more interesting when I'm sleeping.

It seems like a good thing to do or you just might be interested in consciously easing, step by step into some kind of relationship or you're just feeling compassionate and you want to make my day.