Golden3000's profile

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Relationship

Single. Interested in meeting people for friendship

Hometown

Born in northern New Jersey

Places I've been

I grew up in the Northeast - NJ, PA, NY, CT. Moved with my first husband to Sacramento, CA in 1977. Lived there around 6 years, then moved to Seattle Washington. Moved from Seattle to Miami in 1988 - drove alone across the country in a U-Haul van! Lived in Florida until 2005. Moved from Miami to the Houston, TX area in June of 2005 with my elderly aunt and a mess of cats! Plan to stay here until I move to New Zealand some day. The farthest out of the country I ever got was to Canada - Quebec in 1976 and Vancouver, BC during my Seattle days. I have always longed to travel to Great Britain and Europe, as I feel so much past life connection with that part of the world. For the time being, I have to content myself with trips to the Renaissance Faire and go back in time and space through fantasy.

More about me

Like "Bottom the Weaver" in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, I want to play all of the parts! At a young age, I decided to learn to do as many things as possible and I am still learning. I have had a wide variety of life experiences and have at least a basic knowledge of a wide variety of skills and abilities.

At the time of this writing, my biggest asset is not money. I have an extensive library of books (probably close to 3,000) as well as an eclectic collection of music and films. I also have tools and materials for various crafts, painting and handwork. But the biggest gift lives within me in the wide variety of subjects that I am able to write and teach about. Also in my ability to find out about and teach pretty much anything that others would like to learn. I have had success as a lecturer and conductor of workshops on several educational themes. I have had experience leading field courses in Native American crafts at a state park.

In my teens and early twenties, I worked in Bio-dynamic gardens and I have a great love of gardening, but would need to work into it slowly, while my much older body adjusts. I have and love animals and would welcome the opportunity to work with an even greater variety, especially sheep.

Here is a list of some of my the interests and skill bases:

Writing I am a highly skilled writer and editor. I have written articles on education, children's stories, poetry, scripts for puppet theater, scripts for "people" theater and much more. I can produce business correspondence and marketing materials.

Teaching and Child Care I am a fully trained Waldorf Educator with a two year certificate and more than a decade's experience. I have taught mostly Kindergarten with a year of a combined Fourth/ Fifth grade. I am certified for all grades in a Waldorf school with internship in First, Second, Third, Fifth and Seventh grades. I have also been a live in Nanny for several (widely diverse) families - one with five children. I have been a co-director and have worked closely with parents in developing schools and as a child development advisor.

Computers After resisting the lure of technology for many years, I finally succumbed and am now extremely proficient in most computer programs. I have scored around 90% on testing in office placement agencies on Word, Excel and Powerpoint. I love and have some skill in computer graphics. I learn new programs independently and with relative ease.

Lecturing, Public Speaking I was first asked to give a lecture while still in college and I have the follow up letter available which documents my success. I have given lectures and workshops at several schools on educational topics and I have found a good response. I can talk at the drop of a hat on almost anything!! I am able to adapt theories to "speak to" the audience in front of me and make the ideas accessible from many viewpoints. Having been a Waldorf teacher for many years, I have lived with a daily requirement of teaching from within myself, without notes or workbooks and can adapt what I have learned to many different situations.

Hand Crafts I am proficient in sewing (by hand and with a machine), embroidery, knitting and crocheting. I can and have processed wool right off the sheep - washing, carding, dyeing, spinning (hand spindle and spinning wheel) and basic frame weaving. I haven't had the opportunity to learn to weave on a big loom, but I would love to learn. I can teach any and all of these skills to children and adults.

Theater I have acted in, directed and produced both "live" and puppet theater. I have written scripts for both. I can lead workshops in Speech Formation (basics only) and Drama Exercises. I have sewn costumes for children's plays and for a Shakespeare production in New Haven, CT. I have designed and created sets for live theater and made puppets and sets for string, glove and rod puppetry.

Music I can sing, play recorder and guitar at a basic level. I have participated in many group musical events. At age 60, I plan to take up a serious study of piano and music theory in preparation for my next incarnation. I know a wide collection of folk and other songs by heart and have music and lyrics to many more. I can teach and lead basic group musical events, though not at a master choral or orchestra level. I have participated (in my twenties) in folk dancing groups and would enjoy the opportunity to work my way back to a regular dancing activity again. I have written songs for children and puppet theater. I know dozens of lullabies and can use them effectively!

Painting & Sculpture I am proficient at watercolor, acrylic and oil painting and studied painting and drawing in college. I have given several watercolor workshops for adults and have painted regularly with children. I can draw in many mediums and am learning to adapt my skills to electronic media. I have experience with free-form clay sculpture and modeling and with the Platonics Solids clay metamorphosis process. I have worked with Beeswax Modeling with children on a regular basis.

Gardening and Animal Care As I mentioned above, I have worked in a Bio-dynamic garden and home gardens. I have raised houseplants. I enjoy working with the earth and teaching children and adults to do so. I am interested in composting, mulch gardening and French Intensive.

I have quite a few cats and two dogs, too. I would love to participate in raising sheep, especially for wool production. I would love to have the opportunity to learn to ride and care for a horse. While not a strict vegetarian (yet) I lean mostly in that direction and would be comfortable in a primarily vegetarian environment and certainly in a group which does not participate in the abuse of animals in any way, including the mass production methods currently used by the wider society. I would love to work more extensively with an animal sanctuary.

Cooking I am a terrific cook whose one drawback is the inability to produce food for less than a dozen people at a time! I enjoy entertaining and can produce an international and eclectic variety of cuisine. I have canned produce and grown sprouts. I love Greek and Mediterranean food and have produced a multi-course Greek dinner for 50 singlehandedly. I can bake breads and sweets! I love to plan menus and have done so for conference groups. I have cooked and baked with children on a regular basis.

Carpentry and Alternative Energy Technologies I have repaired and re-finished furniture and I can build anything basic. I am good at and have lots of experience with housepainting and décor including color mixing and creative applications. I am deeply interested in alternative energy technologies and have read a lot. I haven't had any actual life experience but would love to participate in the creation and maintenance of alternative energy resources, permaculture and sustainable environments. I am fascinated by underground or partially underground housing with self-contained waste and energy systems.

Senior/ Kinder Work I have a deep interest in creating programs which bring children and elders together on a regular, preferably a daily, basis. In one of my Kindergartens, we partnered with a psychologist who was working to develop such programs. We took our children to visit an adult day care center on a monthly basis. The children "adopted" grandparents and we sent cards, pictures and craft items back and forth. It was a wonderful experience for all and I have dreams and plans of developing early childhood programs which include Seniors on a daily basis. It is my personal belief that children and elders belong together and that they have enormous amounts of love to give each other.

I also have some theories about younger Seniors working on a regular basis in the grade schools as mentors in the classrooms. Not necessarily to "teach" material, but to "foster parent" the children and see to their needs on a daily basis, allowing the teacher to do most of the "head work" without letting the children's emotional and physical needs "slip by". I believe that such a program should be integrated into all types of schools and provide many men and women who are in retirement a very active and rewarding service opportunity.

Native American Studies I am deeply involved in studying the history and culture of Native North Americans. I have some limited contact with Native American leaders that I hope to further and deepen. I believe that there is a wealth of human and spiritual resource contained in the native cultures of this land and that it must come to the surface and find new, universal applications if the karma of Western civilization has any hope of redemption. I have written a collection of children's stories adapted from a variety of Native American tales and I have an extensive collection (always growing) of those original tales. I dream of working to build bridges between the Indian communities and "white society" that honors the native cultures and helps individuals in those communities reconcile themselves to a heritage which has been robbed from them; while promoting an understanding of what the Indian nations can teach the "white man" that will help him find his way back to a spiritual path that is right for our time and our earth.

Spiritual Studies I have been a student of Rudolf Steiner's work for over thirty years. So far, I have found no other teacher more extensive or more profoundly true within my heart and soul. This being said, I have read and do continue to read and explore many spiritual paths to see what beauty and joy they contain. I value most paths and I have danced in the Krishna temples and partaken of Communion in the Catholic church. I have a fairly extensive knowledge of Christology and the history of religion and world spiritual evolution. I am able, with Rudolf Steiner's help to see the interweaving of the streams of mystery schools and religions and how they have developed in the course of human history. I honor and value the individual path while being able to discern the more objective aspect of its application, in other words, carefully weighing other's belief systems against a wider set of religious and spiritual systems of knowledge.

My personal belief system includes: the Christ Being as Logos of God and Master of Karma; a threefold Feminine Trinity which comprises the Holy Spirit of God (the Divine Sophia); individual reincarnation, karma and pre-natal existence; the Human Being as the Tenth Hierarchy and the "Sons of Freedom"; spiritual world evolution; an ongoing struggle between the forces of Light and the forces of Darkness, embodied in the Archetype of the Archangel Michael's battle with the Dragon; the ongoing quest of balance and harmony between individual freedom and human community development.

What I feel that I need most from a community, some of my weaknesses and concerns:

Physical Health and Strength The years of struggle and stress have taken a toll. At the time of this writing, I am overweight and have no real physical strength or endurance. I would appreciate being among people who can support and assist me in diet and exercise without being judgmental. I also need massage and deep tissue work on a regular basis.

Emotional Support I have journeyed far in the quest to overcome much of my childhood and youth trauma. I have been able to avoid substance abuse and addiction through the grace of God and karma, but I have struggled for most of my life with depression. I was on Zoloft for about seven years and have recently stopped taking it. So far, I am just fine, but if depression comes round again, I would like to know that I have multi-generational and multi-cultural friends with the wisdom and care to help me recognize what is happening and to help me fight it with more wholistic means. I would like to create friendships with people who are there through thick and thin, who can enumerate one's faults while still loving and who can laugh, cry, create and grow together.

Financial Balance and Security I would like to live and work in a community where my work is given freely and my practical life is supported in such a way that I need not be concerned about "making a living." I want to be able to co-generate abundance and prosperity and not just work for a paycheck and struggle to "make ends meet." I don't feel that my needs are extravagant, but I don't want a "mere subsistence" financial life, either. I want there to be money for pleasures - trips, entertainment, beautiful objects and gifts, as well as for emergencies, health care and my support in elder years. I would like to participate in an economically productive and self-sustaining community that produces much of its own needs and also for trade with the economy at large. I believe in self-banking and self-insurance within a community and would like to participate in and promote both.

Activities

At the moment, my life consists of working and caring for my aunt and my animals. I do a lot of reading and internet stuff. Watching movies and Britcoms. * * * Would love to learn to sail a sailboat, ride a horse and take a ride in a hot air balloon!

Favorite Charities

Alzheimer's Research * * * Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah

Favorite Music

I love most music. Opera, jazz, classic rock, soft rock, international, new age, folk, classical. I am very obsessed with Mozart's "The Magic Flute" right now - praying that Kenneth Branagh's movie will make it to the US! Houston Grand Opera is producing it this coming season! Yeah! * * * Blackmore's Night, Steeleye Span and all Renaissance and old English folk music. * * * Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Janis Joplin, Malvina Reynolds, Simon & Garfunkel * * * Mozart, Beethoven, Liszt, Schubert, Chopin, et al, Bizet, Puccini, Verdi, et al * * * John Coltrane, Stan Getz, Jim Hall, Thelonius Monk, et al * * * Not wild about Country, but I do love the older classics like Patsy Cline. However, I just discovered Trace Adkins' "Hot Mama" and I might turn into a C&W fan

Favorite TV Shows

Britcoms, Britcoms, Britcoms! * * * I HATE it when PBS pre-empts the Saturday night Britcoms for other programming! But I have loads of tapes & DVDs, so I console myself. * * * Not much else on TV, except Masterpiece Theatre. * * * Discovered "The Riches" (on Fox?) this season - Minnie Driver and Eddie Izzard - really good!

Favorite Movies

I have hundreds of tapes & DVDs. Some of the best * *Saving Grace - Brenda Blethyn & Craig Ferguson * Saving Grace - Tom Conti * SHOWGIRLS * A Touch of Class * Shirley Valentine * Medicine Man - Sean Connery * What Dreams May Come - Robin Williams * Metropolis - Fritz Lang * Never on Sunday * Amadeus * Immortal Beloved * Marx Brothers * The Gods Must Be Crazy * Doctor Zhivago * Sense & Sensibility * Only You - Marisa Tomei * Ciao Professore * Hope and Glory * Made in Heaven * Romeo & Juliet - Zefferelli * Brother Sun, Sister Moon - Zefferelli * Jane Eyre - Joan Fontaine * The Ghost and Mrs. Muir * A Dog of Flanders * Small Change * African Queen * Inn of the Sixth Happiness * Whale Rider * Carmen - Carlos Saura * Being There - Peter Sellers * Robin Hood - Errol Flynn * Camelot * more!

Favorite Books

I have probably thousands of books - I'll have to list authors, as the ones I love, I tend to read most of their work! * * * "Jitterbug Perfume" - Tom Robbins * Shakespeare * All of the "Miss Read" Village School books * Louisa May Allcott * Jane Austen * Mark Twain * Dorothy Dunnett - the Johnson Johnson series and the Francis Crawford of Lymond series * Mary Stewart * Mary Renault * Herman Hesse * JRR Tolkien * CS Lewis * The Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All * A Confederacy of Dunces * Laurens Van der Post - esp "A Story Like the Wind" and "A Far Off Place" * Doris Lessing * Bernard Cornwell * James Herriot * Piers Anthony * Douglas Adams * Ann Rice * Phillippa Gregory * Dorothy Sayers * Taylor Caldwell * Peter Mayle * more, more, more

Favorite Quotes

... so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. - JRR Tolkein, The Fellowship of the Ring * * * Misc. Quotes From Calvin & Hobbes by Bill Watterson * * * I find my life is a lot easier the lower I keep everyone's expectations * * * Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us. * * * Miss Wormwood: "What state do you live in?" * Calvin: "Denial." * * * I asked Mom if I was a gifted child... She said they certainly wouldn't have paid for me. * * * Calvin: I'm a genius, but I'm a misunderstood genius. * Hobbes: What's misunderstood about you? * Calvin: Nobody thinks I'm a genius.

Favorite People

Rudolf Steiner * * * Hildegard of Bingen * * * Dawn French * * * Kenneth Branagh * * * Stephen Fry * * *Sean Bean * * * Silvia Ashton-Warner * * * Michael Flatley * * * all the authors listed above! Richie Blackmore & Candice Night of Blackmore's Night

Favorite Places

Blue Ridge Mountains * * * New Jersey seashore * * * Seattle, Washington and all the Pacific Northwest * * * Spring, Texas! * * * New Zealand - all of it! * * * Yorkshire, England * * * Provence, France

Favorite Animals

Cats, cats and more cats! * * * And dogs! * * * Actually, I love all animals!

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