4th OF JULY

I’m in Santa Barbara staying with my friends Jane and Ron Olson who have a beautiful, welcoming home right on the beach. The weather is sparkling, the flowers abundant. Life couldn’t be better.

Yesterday I interviewed my friends Dick and Mickey Flacks who live in Santa Barbara. I got to know them when I married Tom. They were all part of the early SDS at the University of Michigan. Dick is now retired from being a tenured professor of Sociology and she was a professor of Biology at university of California, Santa Barbara. They are celebrating their 50th Wedding anniversary which for me, with my history, seems a miracle. I wanted to talk to them about how they managed to stay together, happily and productively for so long. I am writing about marriage and relationships in general in my book about aging. They are another proof that the most successful marriages occur in the absence of rigid gender stereotypes…”you are the woman and should be doing this and I’m the man and I should be doing this…”

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Dick and Mickey Flacks

My old roommate, Carol Kurtz drove me up here from L.A. And it was fun to spend time with her and do some catching up. She and her husband, Jack, and son, Cory, lived downstairs from me and Tom (and Troy and Vanessa) in Ocean Park, CA for a number of years during the Vietnam War and in the tumult and controversy of those years I always knew Carol had my back.

In the midst of post surgery I am falling in love and it’s a splendid way to hasten recovery and I highly recommend it. Who would have thought at 71–and on crutches, no less. Actually, I am just now walking without crutch or cane. Slowly, but still.

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Bridget

I am about to go to my niece Bridget Fonda and her husband, Danny Elfman’s home for a party. I’ve never been there but Troy tells me the home is amazing as is their home in Hancock Park, L.A. They were at my closing night of “33 Variations” and I haven’t seen them since then. Danny is one of the most successful and respected composers for films. For you older folk he was the lead in the band Oingo Boingo back in the day. Remember? I will take pictures.

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Danny and Bridget

Stay tuned.

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75 Comments
  1. Loved reading about Bridget and seeing her pictures!! She looks great! She’s a great actress! You must be doing very well recovering! It’s great that you can visit some friends while you’re in California! Santa Barbra is SO pretty!! Thanks for sharing things that are going on in your life!! Hmmm…… so you “think you’re falling in love” while recovering? Sounds interesting…..please tell us more…when you can!! I enjoy reading your blog! You’ve got a great sense of humor!!

  2. Rode up in the elevator with you and your Maltese today at 9665 Wilshire. Wish I’d said hello but you seemed so private. At first I didn’t know it was you and wanted to ask who cut your hair, but then it hit me and decided your space was more important than an inane question from a stranger. We are worlds apart politically, but you’ve had an incredible life and I appreciate that. Maybe next time…

  3. I’m so happy to hear that you are falling in love. The world looks much better when we are in love. WE look much better when we are in love.
    And is fine to fall in love at 71. I have lots of friends (active seniors who look great) who are falling in love right and left. A good thing too.

  4. Jane Fonda I am trying to be a strong person for my mother who is 76 years old she is living off of her social security and I am seeking help to recover her money loaned to a former daughter in law. My mother can not afford to fight this in court due to the high costs. Mom already spend 13k . The daughter law wrote the promissory note the amount my mother is trying to collect is 100k she was getting interest on this money to help her survive a better life. She needs your help. I live in San Jose Ca. Please don’t disregard my email. Because you have seen so much in life I hope you can help save my mother. She is getting frail.
    Thank you,
    Mindy

  5. My mother came from India and can not read or write english. She has been taken advantage of. Please I plead for your help.

  6. ah yes those days on Wadsworth…what a crew. Glad you and Carol had some time together.

    A love-thing…sounds good…nice cliffhanger.

  7. Jane, I appreciate your openness and I thank you for sharing so much of your life with us through your blog…

  8. Should be interesting book…cultivation of love like a garden is something everyone should do, Peter Sellers in Being There, he used that analogy and everyone thought he was great…made him president too…and he listened without criticism…”I understand,” he said, and everyone was happy because they felt that he really understood them and each felt special. So this is a good way to give love, like working in your garden. And the fruit of love can be so widely shared, like giving away the fruit from your tangerine tree. And there are old potatoes and fresh new carrots, and turnips and red tomatoes, and so many wonderful things to share next season, and each season comes and goes but the garden always needs a lot of love and attention and it is a pleasant kind of work…as long as you are just being there…

  9. Jane, I’m so glad that you’re happy and in love…man, woman, cat, turtle…fractile. Small inanimate object. Whomever..whatever…

    Love and Peace,
    Nirmala

  10. Jane, please tell Bridget how much we miss seeing her on the screen. She really has something, and the movies are the sadder for her absence.

  11. Jane you have been an inspiration to me since the 60’s. Your courageous action in Vietnam and many other things. And you still amaze me with your openness. I think it has helped so many people. Even your choice of movies has made an impact. 9 to 5 comes to mind tho there were others probably of greater impact. Such as China Syndrome. 3 mile island then comes to mind. That was 1979 and I remember the year because it was the year of my daughter Debbie’s birth. I am from Pa. Well, enough. Just keep being you.l God Bless.

  12. I read the article in Huffpost. The project is very good. In Uruguay there are no good programs to help pregnant adolescents, adoption proceedings are very long and our president has vetoed a bill passed by the Parliament to decriminalize abortion. From Uruguay with love.

  13. Giving it further thought, with all of the curiosity about the new love in your life, it occurred to me that you might simply be falling more deeply in love with “you”. Which, according to Eastern philosophies, is a sign of “self realization”. The thought of it, oddly, made me feel very happy. A little high even. My Guru, Swami Satchidananda once answered, when asked why so many people love him, “Probably because I love myself so much”. Given the groundswell of people who seem to be loving and revering you exponentially, on a daily basis, not just as the legendary actor, humanitarian and distinguished writer that you are- but also as a person- my conclusion is that, factoring in all of the new Spiritual work you’re doing on yourself… you’re becoming enlightened… Which obviously doesn’t rule out the possibility of a significant other…..That said, I hope it doesn’t mean you’ll stop acting. The world still needs your enlightment on the screen. And stage.

  14. It is good to see you being with family. I just read about your Twitter post during the memorial service today. Rejoice and be glad that you have a strong support system of a family who loves you, Jane.

  15. Nice post and it is nice that you see the flower in the human being.

  16. p.s. My Guru, who left his body and attained hiis Mahasamahdhi in 2002, loved you very much. And he loved your movies. In particular, On Golden Pond.

    Love and Peace
    Nirmala

  17. OK, Jane – who are you falling in love with?
    I feel I can talk to you this way, because I met and spoke to you outside the stage door at “33 Variations”. My daughter and I from PA (originally from CT) were in the audience you wanted to clone. You will never know how much seeing you on Broadway and meeting you means to me. I have been following you for years and now nearing our last acts I am so enjoying your writings, acting, energy , zest for life. You inspire me every day! The last speech you gave in “33 Variations” touched my soul, unbelievably. I have not followed any other actor.

  18. Jane: I stumbled upon your blog today after seeing the photo of your mugshot clutch. Love it. I have always admired your acting and your political beliefs although I am extremely conservative. Does that make sense? We differ widely on abortion, but that is a private thing. I read your autobiography, and it surprised me a lot. I think every girl needs her father’s approval and love. My daughter’s don’t have their father’s love either, and I can see the difference it has made even though I told them over and over that he was just not capable of showing love to anyone. They have good lives, though, just as you do. Actually yours is a fairy tale. This is off the subject. I love the fourth of July! It is so American, ha ha!

  19. Okay, I am new at this. My comment came out wrong. Your father belonged to a generation that had a hard time showing love. My father never told me he loved me, but I figured out he did. I didn’t mean to make it sound like your father, the great Henry Fonda, did not love you!

  20. Love is wonderful! Life is full of incredible surprises: I just remarried my first ex-husband a few days ago–after 30 years apart.

    Last night at dinner with friends of like age, we discussed the 40th anniversary of Woodstock and how the world was for us 1967-1970. I always say I’d go back there in an instant, although it wasn’t always a very pretty time. We had hope, though, and a sense that the future was ours. Now, approaching 60, I wonder where the time went, and how we screwed up all that potential we had as a nation.

    I’m a fan, Jane, of your activism, courage and of your life. Yes, yes, acting, too. But mostly I’m a fan of the woman you are. How you managed through all that crazy vilification is, well, a tribute to your strength.
    All the best to you in love and life.

  21. I came here to catch up on your knee recovery and saw the pics of Bridget and Danny. I never knew Danny married Bridget. Awesome!

    My North Hollywood sis wants to give me some contact info to Danny Elfman for some reason. I guess it has to do with figuring out how to submit music for film? I asked her for Tim Burton’s information and she came up with Danny as well. Are they buddies?

    Only reason I ask is because my daughter is doing the final touches on a recording of ‘Alice’. Coincidentally, Tim Burton’s been working on the same subject matter with film, which you may already know. Oh that would be amazing to hear her version at the end of a T. Burton film! Well we can dream… Quirky, indie, skat and a little garage (yay rock and roll!). The song was written a couple of years ago and never recorded up until now. I can’t wait for the song to be released on myspace. If Danny wants to hear it, I’ll ask her to send him a copy. It’s cute. All she has on the net at the moment is ‘Four Camaro’s’ (true story) at http://www.myspace.com/deafzero

    I’m so happy you’re in love! I think you’re going to be my knee mentor.

    Take Care,
    Gen
    (no cartilage L knee)

  22. Wow, Jane, you’re in love! My heart leapt a bit at that hopeful news. Good luck. You deserve it.

  23. Danny is one of my favorite composers! He composed “Weepy Donuts” on the Good Will Hunting soundtrack, which is just amazing. (If you don’t have it, you should get it!) I had no idea he was married to Bridget! He’s amazingly talented.

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