
Baby Boomers, get ready to feel the burn again! Jane Fonda, 72, is springing back into her workout gear this fall to release two new DVDs designed for the generation that came of age feeling the burn from her first blockbuster workout tape, Jane Fonda’s Workout, debuted in 1982. “I’m very excited to be back in the fitness business,” Fonda told PEOPLE. “I know from experience and from my research how critical it is for boomers and seniors to be physically active. Even if they’ve never exercised in their lives, now’s the time and my programs are a good, safe way to do it.” The two titles, Jane Fonda: Prime Time Walkout and Jane Fonda: Prime Time Fit & Strong — both due out Nov. 30 — are not only for the senior set. Fonda says she also hopes to inspire “people who think that they are too far unfit to get fit again.” Tell us: Will you buy Jane Fonda’s new workout DVD?–Thailan Pham
Running for political office as a woman in America is still no easy fete even 90 years after obtaining the right to vote. But, today, the Women’s Media Center (WMC) founded in 2005 by Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan, and Gloria Steinem to positively impact the visibility of women in the media, announces a new partnership with Political Parity and Women’s Campaign Forum Foundation to try and make the media accountable. ‘Name It. Change It.,’ a new national campaign seeks to dramatically decrease incidents of misogyny through a new rapid response network. ‘Name It. Change It.’ will start just in time for the November midterm election to help ensure women candidates running for office are portrayed fairly in the media. WMC President and former advisor to Hillary Clinton, Jehmu Greene notes “we’ll work proactively with media professionals and outlets to provide resources for balanced local and national coverage of the elections.” The press conference held at The Paley Center for Media allowed attendees the opportunity to sign the ‘Name It. Change It.’ equality pledge, which media professionals and outlets will continue have the opportunity to sign in the near future. For more information on the new campaign visit the new Website: http://www.nameitchangeit.org/.
My hard drive gave out. Don’t know why so don’t ask. Goblins of cyber space. But a tech genius recommended by Carrie Fisher saved my “stuff.”!! I mean, think about it: I had not saved with backup any part of my book for 3 months!! So that’s why I haven’t been blogging till this morning. I am happy to say, I am about to head to my ranch for 3 dys. My son and daughter-in-law are there so that’ll be fun and I am participating in a Upaya Zen center retreat about Wisdom and Aging so I’ll only be at my ranch part time. But part time is better than nada.
So that’s all for now. I miss my pals from “Peace Love and Misunderstanding. “ And my long gray hair.
See you next time.
August 23rd
This has been the fastest film I’ve ever done except for “Cat Ballou“. This has been much more fun, though. There feels like a dusting of magic in the air every day…a good vibe. We like each other and we feel really good about what the film’s about. So we’ve gotten close and now it’ over…at least for me. Catherine and Lizzie and Nat have another week. Besides all that, it’s very beautiful up here and people have been really nice. The ‘background’ players (what we used to call ‘extras’) were mostly from around here. You can get a real sense of a place by hanging with extras…even for short bursts.
Every lunch break, these members of the Sound and Electrical crews, Spice, Vince Reed Camuto, John Ashton, and Russ Geltman on drums, gather to play and sing. And they’re really good. And they are Woodstock for me. As is Levon Helm who did another extraordinary Midnight Ramble concert at his studio last Saturday. What an extraordinary group of musicians Levon has assembled! I got there late because we worked till 9:30pm but joined my friends, Jennifer and Peter Buffett, Elizabeth Lesser and her husband, Tom, and my stepdaughter, Laura Turner Seydel and her son, John R. They came by for a 2-day visit which was very special because I don’t see them as much anymore and there is lots of catching up to do.. I videoed John R.’s birth and now he is looking at colleges in the region—Brown, Colgate, Dartmouth, for example. Because he is a fine and passionate ice hockey player, he went from Atlanta to a high school in Toronto, Canada, where he is the starting goalie. I am so proud of the Seydel family. All of them are committed to trying to make the world a better, cleaner more peaceful place.
A wonderful piece of synchronicity: This Magic Bus that now sits in my character’s (Grace’s) yard, used to be parked in Atlanta in front of the Captain Planet Foundation which Laura chairs. It grew from the animated children’s environmental TV series of the same name that was created by her father, Ted Turner, and Barbara Pyle. She couldn’t get over the coincidence.
I’ve had some wonderful, touching and funny scenes with Catherine these last few days and also with Lizzie Olsen and Nat Wolff, my “grandchildren.” These young ones have a long, bright future ahead of them. It feels strange to be leaving. You get so close and then it’s over. But I sense that we will all cross paths again. Certainly I intend to see Catherine once we’re both back in L.A. She gave me an iPod the other day. She and her son, Clyde, loaded over 400 songs on it that they thought I’d like and Alinda taught me to buy and add songs and albums. What a great technology. I can”t wait to teach Richard so he won’t have to lug dozens of CDs everywhere with him.
Alinda drove me into the City and to JFK this morning. I missed my flight cause I fell asleep in the lounge but got the last seat on the next flight out which is where I am writing this.
I’ll post from Richard’s and am late posting because I didn’t have a signal for quite awhile.

That's Lori Hicks, the blonde on the left. How about Catherine's lotus position!! I can't do that anymore.

Maia, the daughter of Lori Hicks, who did my makeup, loves to watch Tulea when I'm shooting. She is a most creative girl, putting together her own picture book with drawings of the animals, people and events that she’s encountered while up here

There they are, brother (Elan) and sister, guarding Tulea and passing me tissues when I get emotional. It was a lovely scene between me and Catherine.

Working with the script authors, Joe and Christina, on the next day's scene. He is Alinda's brother.
August 18-19
Another fun day on the set of “Peace, Love, and Misunderstanding”. The last 2 days we’ve shot nothing but peace and love. The day before was the major misunderstanding. It was too intense to take pictures, but really good, I feel. Mark Schmidt did an amazing job moving through the whole house, out the porch and across the road all in one scene with the steady cam. Whew! Glad I’m just an actor.
I wish I had my camera with me and someone could take a picture of me. I’m sitting on the floor, up against a wall in Grand Central Station, Tulea on my knees, waiting to board the train back to Poughkeepsie where I will then go on by car to Woodstock. I got here early and there seems to be no chairs or benches to sit on, so—
Funny to be here, cause for 8 years, this was the station I went to and from en route, first to Troy, NY (my boarding school Emma Willard) for 4 years and then Poughkeepsie (Vassar), passing Fonda, NY, on the way up the Hudson. If you blinked you’d miss it. It was where my ancestor, Jellis Fonda, settled in the 1600s after fleeing Holland because of repression against the Dutch Reform Church. He rowed up the Hudson and settled in Mohawk territory. When I look out the train windows, I try to imagine how he must have felt, rowing up that massive expanse of water, not knowing how far it would take him or what lay in store. Maybe he decided to stop where he did just because he got tired. As I have written before, the old graveyard in Fonda has moss-covered headstones with the names Pietre, Jayne, Henry!!
I came to the City to attend a screening of Bruce Beresford’s last film, “Mao’s Last Dancer.” It opens in theatres on Friday. I liked it very much. Cried a lot at the emotional ending and was fascinated by what was shown of China in the days of Mao. It is a true story. The lead actor, a gorgeous man, is also a fantastic dancer and it was a treat to watch him move!! Everyone from “Peace, Love and Misunderstanding” was there, cast and crew. What fun to see everyone all glam’ed up. After the screening, hosted by the Australian Consulate, we celebrated Bruce’s 70th birthday.
And now, here I am, in the comfort and safety of an airconditioned train, following the same trajectory as my ancestor, looking forward to my final 5 days of shooting that will include some fun and juicy scenes with Catherine Keener.
Stay tuned.