Concerning Dianna...

~The Mind~

I firmly believe that to live is to learn...and to learn is to grow. These are some ways I enjoy growing: I LOVE reading. At any given time I usually have at least three or four books I'm working my way through. For a list of current books I'm reading click on Current Projects & Activities. I also have a page dedicated to my all time favorite books with short reviews for each one. Another pastime of mine is writing poetry and short stories. These links will take you to poems and shortstories that I have written, as well as others by various authors that I enjoy. Anyone who has known me for a length of time will tell you that I adore a good quote. It can be long or short, funny or profound. Here is a page just brimming with awesome quotes! Although I don't have much time for it now, something that has always been of interest to me is painting and drawing. This link will take you to a few samples of my artwork. Some other things I love are Astronomy, Math (Algebra and Probability just make my toes tingle with happiness) and every kind of Science there is! I guess I'm just one of those people who isn't interested in knowing everything about something...but something about everything. The Universe fascinates me, and although I risk sounding trite by saying it...the more I learn about stuff the more I realize how little I know.

~The Body~

Physical exercise is a great way for me to keep healthy and feel my best. One of my favorite forms of exercise is walking. There are some fantastic walking trails very close to my house. I think one of the reasons I enjoy it so much is because it affords me an opportunity to commune with the natural world around me. Although I do most of my hiking during the day, I like to go walking/jogging late at night when the moon is out and the stars are shining brightly. It makes me so happy to be alive! What an inspiring way to end the day! Hiking in the mountains, foothills and desert are all high on my list of invigorating and fun things to do too. Swimming is also something I find rejuvenating. The cool forgiving water makes me feel weightless and free. It’s easy to forget about minor troubles among the concentric ripples and hypnotic waves. One activity that I started doing in 1993 is caving. I have been to over 15 caves (the non-tourist type) which include an underwater cave, many lava tubes, fissure caves, limestone, and some of unknown classification (well, unknown to me). I have repelled down waterfalls inside caves and even went into a cave where the National Geographic Society was doing a dig uncovering the bones of native peoples and animals! That was cool! Come to my caving page to see pictures of me exploring a quiet and dark world.

~The Spirit~

The spirit is complex. It seems intricately connected to the mind and body on many different levels. The things that make my spirit rejoice are too numerous to list here, but I will attempt to highlight a few of the major ones. I try to nurture my spirit by connecting with people, animals, the earth, the universe and myself. * I started practicing Yoga in the summer of 2000 as a way to remain healthy and flexible. What I found was that not only is it great for the body, but also for the soul. Doing yoga is very peaceful. It helps to calm my nerves and clear my mind of mental static. Some of the coolest Yoga tapes I have found are done by a woman named Wai Lana. If you are thinking about trying Yoga out, I suggest you link to her web site and peruse it for a bit. www.wailana.com * My all time favorite music group would have to be The Moody Blues. If you haven't heard much by them, I recommend listening to "In Search of the Lost Chord" or "Days of Future Passed". I think that both of those CD's can be described as possessing very unique and transcendent musical qualities. * I'm a HUGE sci-fi junkie and especially adore anything Star Trek related. I even have a collection of Star Trek action figures from the original series and The Next Generation. * I have 2 furry felines and one desert tortoise. I've always been drawn to animals because they are such nonjudgmental, innocent beings. They respond to how we treat them, not to what we look like or how much money we have. How refreshing! * Because I am a very sociable person I love getting involved in long conversations with interesting people. I like to surround myself with those who posses a well developed sense of humor, joy, compassion and love. Highest on my list is my family. They make every day I live on this planet a gift. They have been most influential in helping me shape who I am, and for that I am forever grateful.