Ericjbrende, 63

i'm an out-of-the-box thinker and craftsman who has a hand in many local and global endeavors: writing (with one long term bestseller out), occasional traveling and speaking, rooftop container vegetable gardening, soap making (my trade), and until recently, raising three children, now out of the house, who grew up in the city without a car, television, social media, or smart phone, much to their benefit i'd say. (they're all thriving today). i'm starting a new chapter in my life and it would be lovely to meet someone with similar ideals to join me in collaborating on my urban oasis--a historic property with about 3500 square feet of potential living space (including a carriage house about to become a guest house and a rooftop garden with a view of the gateway arch) on a tree-lined street only three blocks from one of the country's most beautiful parks and walking distance from the library, the post office, and about 50 restaurants. i'd love to find someone who, like me, wants to make the world a better place and feels as though the best place to start is at home: i'd like to use my property as a guest space for educational weekend, or weeklong, getaways for those seeking to live as simply, conscientiously, and leisurely as i and my family have lived. i love books, stimulating conversation, biking and walking (i don't own a car by choice, but i do have a pebl--a car/bicycle hybrid). i host a book group currently in a survey of world history--choosing books that often tell the large in small. (i.e., sometimes a biography tells you as much about history as it does about the person it's about). i believe in the possibility of personal transformation, and for me doing meditation twice a day is very helpful. i happen to be part of a thoughtful christian tradition, and i love beauty, great music, and all the bells and whistles in a religious service. i spent time with the amish although i didn't formally join, and am greatly influenced by their way of life.