Dianne, we mentioned this earlier and I know you don't want to "toot" your own horn, so here it is.

I've read that you were a Mrs. Arizona, so you must be a very beautiful woman. You are a professional singer and taking acting lessons. You have also made nationally televised commercials. Which ones? I also see that you are scheduled as a guest speaker at the University of Arizona.

So please, can you address some of these topics?

Well, allrighty then!

Being Mrs Arizona and some loose change will get you a phone call. Actually, it opened up doors for me to model and do tv commercials. It's also what my publisher wanted to use on the book cover to show any woman can be a victim of abuse.

Let me think about the commercials...Molson Beer, TCBY, Lear Eye Clinic, and then I did what they call generic commercials. This means any doctor, office whatever can buy the commercial and put their name in it. I did commercials I never saw. It was fun but I had an agent that liked to hang onto my money for the most time she could without being legally in the wrong. That got tiring.

I'm taking acting lessons and having a ball. I love it, I have a passion for it. It's so exciting to me. I'm going to continue with the lessons after I move.

I spoke last year at ASU. I've done a lot of speaking and interviews in my time but have gotten away from it. I feel like I'm being led in a different direction but will always be of help to battered women.

That's so sweet of you to ask me about this.

See she's not just a pretty face...If you haven't read the riveting account of her own abuse in her book, "Whose face Is In The Mirror" you should. It blew me away...

Thank you I will Chatty and thank you Dianne!

Do you think these acting lessons could lead to a part in a movie?

What led you to compete as Mrs. Arizona?

You are amazing!!!!!How do you find the time to do all this or are you always "on the run?" Keeps you young and in shape though, I'm sure!

I don't have the ambition to be an actor. I've always wanted to take classes and thought, why not? My instructor has moved me up to the advanced class because he says I'm a natural. Actually, I think I'm a big ham.

I was told that Minneapolis has a huge community theater so I might venture into that after I've put a lot of classes under my belt.

I make time to do what I love. I blow the rest of the stuff off.

How I ran for Mrs. Arizona was because of a dream I had. In the dream I was competing and won and really happy. Didn't even know anything about the pageant. It's a miracle story in itself. Something that was meant to be regardless of me.

Thanks Chatty. Appreciate it deeply.

Dianne, that's awesome!
And I'd love to read your book.

I did Army Community Theater in the past, in different states and in Germany, while first hubby was in the military; it was so much fun. After I came back to Hawaii, I worked for TV and radio stations.
Next month I will be working with friends on something new...starting a local entertainment TV program on which I will host a segment. Gonna be so exciting!
Keep us posted on what you will be doing

Dianne, I have a friend who does the local dinner theatres. What fun, and boy are those shows good! I admire you for following your dreams at midlife. You go girl.

Have you met Marilyn Kentz through NABBW? Check her out on the associates page. Her site is www.fearless-aging.com.

She does a stage show called Boomer Babes. She's also an author. Very much into midlife issuses in a fun way. I bet you'd like her.

Do you think it would create a problem if I told them the play had to end by 9:00 PM so I could go home and go to bed?

I did community theater years ago in AZ. It was "Kismit or Kismet...see how involved I was, I can't remember how to spell it. I got to play the hussy wife of the king or emperor. Type casting no doubt. It was fun.

Wow Diamond. I'm seriously impressed. That answers the question about make up in another thread. That is really exciting!

My screenplay is still waiting for me. Patiently waiting. This acting bug thing took over and I've shoved everything to the side...except the move. Hey! My office is cleaned out. That was a major undertaking.

Okay now dish Dianne: Someone in another thread said that if they were not mistaken, you had dated Troy Donahue.

If true, tell us about it and how that first date came to be.

I used to be very involved in community theater. In fact, that's how my husband and I met. We got out of it when we had our kids and never got back. But we have wonderful memories of all the shows we worked on, both on and back stage.

I want the dish on Troy Donahue, too, Dianne!