Date men and women from United States / California / Ojai, 45 year old

Date a woman from United States. I am a loving, sometimes shy, sometimes silly but like to meet people.
I love animals and have 3 dogs and son has a beaded lizzard and daughter a hamster. Wish we could have a horse, but we all love being around animals.

Meet men and women from United States. I am not crazy about online dating sites, but it seems wise to give it a try. Describing myself here is not easy! I'm a writer, editor and publisher. I'm very candid. Honesty is important to me, and while I'm not big on small talk, I'm curious, I find many things interesting and I can converse easily with most people.
A lot of people tell me I'm sweet and engaging, and that I have a great smile and giggle. I have warm relationships with people in my town who I do business with. I'm also an intellectual with a sophisticated brain and adore good, deep conversation.
I grew up in NJ. I guess I'm a California girl by now, but I have the East Coast in my heart.
Kids playing makes me smile. I feel content when I know my grown kids are doing fine.
I like a good long walk, over an hour to really rev up my metabolism and clear my head, or a hike in a pretty area. I'm not a skinny little thing, but I do take care of my health with exercise and nutrition. About 80 percent of what I eat is unprocessed and organic.
I like making things, drawings, crafts. When my kids were little all the kids in the neighborhood would come to my apartment and I always had a lot of crafty stuff they could play with on the kitchen table. I still do crafts with my nieces and nephews.
I'd call the decor of my apartment randomly cheerful, but I like vintage things too, and I have a few. The era around the turn of the last century interests me quite a bit...La Belle Epoque...through the 20s...even earlier and later than that too. Victorian - Edwardian - Flappers....30s, 40s....I love Art Nouveau and loved viewing as much as I could when I was in Paris last spring (a trip I treated myself to as I've studied French for a very long time). In fact, the Paris flea markets, brimful of everything from Moroccan furniture to Lalique sculpted crystal originals to vintage clothes to old key chains and bottle caps, were sublime.
I'm super sensitive and creative. I loved school at various times in my life, having taken the long route to a BA while raising my girls, and may go back for an advanced degree. I have always had an academic inclination.
I'd like to meet someone who can be content with fairly simple pleasures, but who, like me, needs a little more of an adventure every now and then. I need someone who can talk on an emotional level, who has faced their innermost self to a good extent. I hope to meet someone who is realistic but still romantic too. And someone with a good sense of play.
I've been attending improv comedy classes, and I've messed around some with singing and songwriting. I'm a longtime poet and lover of literature. I speak, read and write French. I'm a bit of a foodie, I like healthy, homemade with a little gourmet twist, and will always choose a small, independent restaurant or market over one that is part of a chain.
I'm very affectionate, warm and giving when I'm in a relationship, though I'm not a pushover who'll be wrapped around somebody's finger. I want equal attentiveness. I never play games and never really understood what that expression means because I guess I tend to be reflexively authentic. I have a stable sense of self and can get absorbed in my own projects. Running a business certainly does require a lot of my attention! But I'm also fairly old fashioned and want a warm sweet home life with someone, with a good deal of togetherness, ultimately. It will be so fun when there is someone special in my life and we cannot wait to hear about each others' days. I want that great feeling of friendship with someone, sexy friendship.

Date people from United States. I am a loving person but comfortable enough in my own skin to not NEED another, but I want that. I want to be wanted. I want to give. I want to share. All my lifes accomplishments were not meant to be just for me. I want to feel that feeling like when I was young, that it matters. I have been just exisiting in my life for a time now. Everything has become about making money. I want to laugh. I want to dream, and share dreams and make some come true with another. I am proud of my accomplishments late in life but now I feel like "so now what is next". Would be so fun to thrive in life together. I always thought my favorite thing would be to work wtih my spouse. Is that unrealistic? I have a ph.d. in psychology. I no longer work as a therapist. I found it impossible to not hold onto my patients problems. It was too heavy. I much prefer feeling excitement for someones talents rather than the concept of listening always to other peoples problems. I am starting a new business. I have taught myself how the internet works. I know how to get a website to the front page of a search result. I love to help others do this too. So many people are floundering around with online businesses or websites for their businesses and they have no idea what to do next. Becuae of my phd. I find peole give me a chance more easily. Whether right or wrong, they beleive I might know what I am talking about. It is easier for me to captivate an audience. So, I am using my credentials to get people to hear me teach them how they can succeed with their business on line.
I am an artist at heart too and enjoy building websites. But mostly for the creative part of it.
I love my home. I love interior design. My home space means a lot to me. I like things tidy, but not overdone. I have learned that a house that is lived in is nicer for visitors.
I am crazy for animals. I have 5 dogs. For many that might be a deal breaker. My friends all love animals. I breed dogs once a year. I have french bulldogs and councel people about their dogs even when I dont have puppies to sell. I get calls daily from poeple wanting to learn. I guess I do love teaching. It was a motivator for getting a phd. I always thought what if I don't want to be a therapist, what then..........I could be a teacher one day. I would like that.
I love stories. I love listening to books on tape while I walk my dogs or drive the car. I love to share what I learn with my friends. Lately I am learnign about the brain. FAcinating stuff. I am the curious type.
I am not shy. I am assertive wtih my opinions and listen well. I want to have others tell me how they feel. I like people that ask questions too. I love a two way conversation and my favorite time is with a small group of people where we are all relating.
I prefer small town life over the city. I have lived in NYC and LA so I know the difference. I am from a small town and it seems as I age I am more inlove with solitude and quiet. I am happy to walk alone on a dark quiet street. I enjoy visitng NY but would never want to live there again. I can imagine a life wtih property and horses and dogs and lots of long walks and gentle hikes. I am aware of my body. I am not as fit as I might want to be, but I am no longer obcessed about it. I was a ballet dancer when young and used to be fat crazy. Now I am just slender and aware of food but moderate with eating habits. There is nothing I don't like. I am pretty easy going actually. Love a last minute night out to dance hard. Not crazy about poeple that drink too much. I have issues about people that self medicate. Don't want to repeat that. Getting high once in a while is OK, but nothing regular. I love good smells. I eat meat. My favorite meal is trip tip and a salad. NOt much into bread and potatoes. Love making salads. Extra virgin oils are great and fresh lemon and fresh garlic. I cook from scratch. Fresh everything is great. I want to get new furniture but am waiting to pick it out. Enough