I am originally from Orange City, Iowa. Yep, a prarie girl. (My college nickname was White Bread because I was so...well..White Bread.) I went to Morehead State University where I was a member of the Honors Program and Gamma Phi Beta sorority, among other things. I am a 30 year old (AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH) graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Law. I am a member of the Kentucky Bar Association and Wisconsin Bar Association, and I currently work for a class action administration firm.

I spend most of my time working on my screenplay, being online, chatting about Cary Grant or Russell Crowe, obsessing about whatever is in my magnesium flame at the moment, playing Mahjongg, FReeping, Epinionating, or Running from the Grand Ennui.

I also LOVE to read, mysteries usually, and I LOVE horseback riding. I used to own a beautiful bay American Quarter Horse named Strawberry Sky, and I miss her everyday. She had a star in the perfect middle of her forehead and four black stockings. Nothing better than roaming the countryside just you and your horse. ;-D I miss living in the country.

Have you prayed for our President today?

I love movies, especially classic older films, usually pre-1965. I love the works of masters of the screen Harold Lloyd, Jimmy Stewart, Clark Gable, Katharine Hepburn, and Howard Hawks, but above all,
I Cary Grant. Right mtngrl?!) He is without a doubt the most natural comedian in movie history, but his dramatic performances are spellbinding as well. When most people think of Cary, they think of him in his late 40s and his 50s- the well-groomed, mannered, impeccably dressed sophisticate from such movies as An Affair to Remember and North by Northwest that looked like this:

That’s not what comes to mind when I think of Cary. My favorite Cary is the Cary of the screwball comedies and great films of the 1930s and 1940s- classics such as The Awful Truth, Bringing Up Baby, Holiday, Topper, Penny Serenade, The Philadelphia Story, His Girl Friday, and Gunga Din. The Cary circa 1935-1950. My very favorite Cary looked like this:

Cary, 1938

This Cary is not my favorite Cary because he looks younger. Cary really never aged on film- and he only looked about 70 when he died at age 82 in 1986. (Maybe being married to a woman 46 years his junior helped!) No, I like this Cary-era because the films he did were fresh and he explored the entire gambit—from a frazzled paleontologist in Bringing Up Baby, to a dapper ghost in Topper, a suspected murderer in Suspicion, a government agent in Notorious, a lonely angel in The Bishop's Wife, a submarine captain in Destination Tokyo. Cary's range was unlimited. The sophisticated gentleman which Cary came to embody, while a wonderful character, was not a challenge for Cary, and I don’t think it represented his best acting. It was always the same dashing gentlemen that, while he could make your heart stop just by appearing on the screen, was not always a three dimensional character. He played that dashing gentleman so well people have forgotten about his earlier work, which was ground breaking and wonderful.

Not to mention acrobatic- Cary worked with the Bob Pender Troup as a young adult (when he still carried the moniker Archie Leach) and learned acrobatics, which he puts to full use in a few of his films, complete with handsprings and backflips. Can you imagine the sophisticated gentleman doing such things?

Cary did 72 feature films in his 34 year career. He was nominated for an Oscar twice, both for dramatic roles in 1941's Penny Serenade and 1944's None but the Lonely Heart, but he did not win. (More proof the Academy has never had an idea what they were doing!) In 1970, he was awarded a lifetime Oscar by the Academy "For his unique mastery of the art of screen acting with the respect and affection of his colleagues."

It seems like with the studios seemed to require headshots to be so serious. Here's one of my favorite ones where he's smiling. Cary was quite the comedian, and a very witty and funny person in real life. And what a great smile it is!

Besides being the most under-rated actor in history, Cary was also a Republican! and even introduced Betty Ford at the 1976 Republican National Convention. He was known to be very thoughtful and generous, a great thinker and philosophizer, and was the only person that had a Friar’s Roast where it was impossible to find one person that had anything bad to say about him and the ceremony became a true celebration of his life and career.

Cary was a real patriot as well. He was born a subject of the British Crown in Bristol, England on January 18, 1904, (a Capricorn like me!) and emigrated to America in 1920 at the age of 16. He loved America and became a citizen June 26, 1942. During World War II, Cary tried to enlist to serve in the military the day after he received his American citizenship papers and Uncle Sam wouldn't let him join because he was too popular. The details are sketchy, and some people believe the British and American governments instead recruited Cary to be an undercover agent during the war, using his popularity and charm to its best advantage. No one really knows for sure. Ian Fleming said Cary Grant was his inspiration for James Bond, which only adds fuel to the romantic story. In fact, Cary was offered the role of 007 first, but he turned it down. In any case, Cary did a lot of "support the troops" activities during the war, even dedicating his entire $137,000 salary from "The Philadelphia Story" to the British war effort and his entire $100,000 from "Arsenic and Old Lace" to the American War Relief Fund.

From Talk of the Town (1942)

Want to know more about this multifaceted actor? There is one site that is the definitive site for all Cary: The Ultimate Cary Grant Pages. It has reviews of all 72 of Cary’s movies, as well as a huge photo gallery and sound clip gallery. Also sponsored through this page are the Email Warbrides a group of his most dedicated fans with a Yahoo Group. Our group name is a takeoff of the name of one of Cary’s movies "I was a Male Warbride". Come and join us! Cary has been gone since 1986, but his fans keep his memory warmly alive. There are even those few members that own all 72 of his movies and have a great club, the 72 Speakeasy.

However, if you are just interested in finding photos of this dreamboat, (and who isn’t) Cary Grant, Acrobat of the Drawing Room is the best site.

To watch the man-the myth-the legend in action, check out Cary's movies on TV this month. Or, head to your local Blockbuster. 72 movies may seem daunting, but here are some of my favorites and a place to start. (Costars whose names are underlined are linked to high quality, wonderful fan pages about those stars.)

Cary: Hmmm......I think Lawgirl has finally lost it, Kate. She's got the biggest profile on FR, and half of it is dedicated to me!
Kate Hepburn: I can't blame her!

Holiday (1938) Costarring Katharine Hepburn and my favorite film of all time, period. Watch for Cary's acrobatic talents in this one, and just try not to fall in love with Johnny Case. I dare you- go ahead and try. Also watch for Lew Ayres' wonderful performance and Edward Everett Horton- a famous comedic actor you may recognize (or for sure recognize his voice!) He nearly steals the show. Really, this is a really great ensemble movie- everyone in the cast, with the possible exception of Doris Nolan, does a great job.

The Awful Truth (1937) Costarring Irene Dunne and Mr. Smith, played by Asta the trained comedy dog you might recognize from the Myrna Loy/Melvyn Douglas "Thin Man" series. (Asta also appeared with Cary in Bringing Up Baby.) This film is considered Cary's "breakout" role- a movie that really brought his name to the forefront as a leading man. It's a delightful film and my second favorite movie of all time.

Bringing Up Baby (1938) Again costarring Katharine Hepburn and a leopard. This movie is one of the definitive screwball comedies of the period, and an absolute classic. It's very fast paced, and very funny.

Only Angels Have Wings (1939) Costarring Jean Arthur, Thomas Mitchell, and one of Rita Hayworth's first significant films. Directed by one of my personal favorites, Howard Hawks, and one of Cary's best dramatic roles in which Cary plays an airmail pilot in steamy South America. Cary and I share a love of airplanes, so this movie charms me from that perspective as well. (and oohhhhh that leather bomber jacket...)

The Philadelphia Story (1940) Costarring Jimmy Stewart (who won his only competitive Oscar for this film) and Katharine Hepburn in the story of a society maven torn between a new love and her ex-husband. Recently featured as one of the “Essentials” on Turner Classic Movies. (Movies considered to be essential to a basic understanding of the history of cinema.)

My Favorite Wife (1940) Another classic costarring Irene Dunne and with a small part by Cary's real life best friend Randolph Scott (who subsequently went on to be a big Hollywood westerns star.) Newly married Cary discovers his first wife, mistakenly assumed to be drowned, has actually spent the last seven years shipwrecked on a deserted island with another man. When a Portugese freighter wanders off course and picks her up and delivers her home on Cary’s wedding day, Cary must decide what to do while keeping the two women from meeting. Absolutely hilarious.

Penny Serenade (1941) A fantastic dramatic performance by Cary- again with Irene Dunne-one of the two films he was nominated for Best Actor Oscar. In this movie, Cary and Irene's talents shine as they play some very funny scenes despite the very serious tone of this film. Cary also breaks one of the unspoken "macho" rules of the men of his day and weeps openly on film.

Once Upon a Honeymoon (1942) Costarring Ginger Rogers and Walter Slezak in his American debut. Cary follows Ginger on her honeymoon and tries to convince her that her new husband is a Nazi. This movie has some very, very funny scenes including Cary’s impersonation of a burlesque dancer, as well as some very tender romantic scenes bound to melt any woman’s heart.

Destination Tokyo (1944) Costarring John Garfield. Cary's only wartime military "propaganda" film where he plays a submarine captain, but one so good it inspired a rash of sub films shortly thereafter.

Notorious (1946) Costarring Ingrid Bergman and directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Contains the longest "kissing scene" in film until that time, but still undoubtedly one of Cary’s darkest films. He plays a secret agent who convinces Ingrid Bergman to help him trap a Nazi, played wonderfully by Claude Rains. As he falls in love with her, Cary must watch her marry Claude Rains in order to make a more convincing show. I can’t tell more or I’ll give away the movie, but this one is also a TCM "Essential", and for a reason.

The Bachelor & The BobbySoxer (1947) Costarring Myrna Loy as a judge and Shirley Temple as her bratty seventeen year old sister who falls in love with Cary. This film is enormously funny as Cary tries to convince Shirley Temple he’s much too old for her, yet all the women in the movie with the exception of Myrna Loy, are swooning for him at the same time. Who can blame any of them? And guess which one eventually catches him?

An Affair to Remember (1957) Costarring Deborah Kerr and the Empire State Building. Two strangers, engaged to others, meet on a ship, fall in love, and plan on meeting in six months to wed until fate intervenes.

North by Northwest (1959) Costarring Eva Marie Saint and directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Cary is mistakenly identified as a spy and kidnapped by the enemy, subsequently escaping and chasing the man he is mistaken for across the country. Contains the famous scene where Cary is chased by a cropdusting plane and considered by many to be one of Hitchcock’s greatest films.

Charade (1963) Costarring Audrey Hepburn, George Kennedy, Walter Matthau, and James Coburn. This is a fantastic suspense film, and is often called the best Hitchcock film Hitchcock never made. Cary keeps you guessing throughout the entire film as to his real identity. Con man? Thief? Gigolo? You won't know until the last scene.

Father Goose (1964) Costarring Leslie Caron. Cary plays a drunken unshaven curmudgeon. A very funny script, but worth watching just to see Cary in jeans and unshaven. And remember when you watch, Cary is getting ready to turn 60 during this shoot. See if you can believe it.

Did you know Cary or get to meet him, or do you love his movies like I do? Email me! And as our man himself would say, Happy thoughts, darling! (Click the link to hear Cary himself say it!)

My favorite band in the whole world is PFR, which stands for Pray for Rain. PFR is a Christian band that was VERY big on the Christian music scene from 1992-1997, and I actually knew them when I lived in Minneapolis. Back then, around 1990-1991, they were known as "Inside Out", and the lead singer was one of my Sunday School teachers at Crystal Evangelical Free Church in New Hope, MN. These guys are SO much fun, and their silliness comes out in some of their music.

I can't even begin to tell you what this band means to me. The music is wonderful, (I guess I would classify it as Alternative/Pop if I HAD to choose) but besides that, this group gets it. They get what being a christian in this world is all about, and they have the same view of a loving God that I have. I can't even begin to describe the PFR experience- you just have to try it out for yourself. It's life-changing music.

PFR put out 6 records while they were together---including a fantastic half-reunion CD in 2001. They are unparalled, in my opinion, in the secular OR Christian music field. I simply adore them. Since PFR officially disbanded in 1997, their stuff can be hard to find. Amazon.com has "The Late Great PFR", their greatest hits CD for sale, as well as the last pre-breakup CD "Them." For the rest, Ebay is a great place to start, and I believe 2001's "Disappear" is available commercially, (my Christian bookstore has it) and that is where I would start as it's my favorite CD.

For more on the band, including Band Bios (which are hilarious) and Lyrics, please check out The PFR Project.

A big thanks to mtngrl@vrwc for allowing me to bogart one of her PFR photos for my profile!

Joel Hanson, the lead singer and songwriter, has a wonderful solo career. Please visit Joelhanson.com to learn more about this great guy (trust me) and to purchase his two solo CD's "Broken" and "Captured."

Patrick Andrew, the drummer (and designated hottie) of the band, also has a group "Eager", which put out one CD in 1997. The self-titled CD can often be found on Ebay.

Like I said, I LOVE movies. And I think Russell Crowe is the greatest actor of our time. And it honest-to-God has nothing to do with his biceps or those intense green eyes. (Those are strictly bonuses.) If any others of you are as big a fan of his as I am, or if you've met him, or, even better, if you ARE him, drop me an email and we can trade notes. And congratulations to Russ on his recent marriage to longtime love, Danielle Spencer! (now get back to making movies Russ!)

Maximum Russell Crowe - the definitive site for all that is Russell. This site has an amazing filmography section, including exclusive interviews with several of his costars. This site has a comprehensive print section as well- read almost every magazine interview Russell has ever given. Also--this site has been acknowledged by Russell himself. All you need to know about the man is here.

Murph's Place - this site is great. The best place for the current news on Russell, (practically up to the minute) a great message board, and even the "Silvercrowes"- a club for fans over 60.

Gladiator fan message board - aka My Home Board and Where I Am When Not Freeping. These guys are great people and SERIOUS fans-not only of Gladiator, but Russell in general. And they have more photos and screen caps than any group I have ever seen! A great place to meet other fans. If you look hard enough, you'll find me. I'm the resident Keeper and Defender of the Tender Heart and Honour. And I'll leave it up to you guys to figure out what that might mean.

I didn't think so.

See that big R with the squiggly in the middle? That's our man. ;)
Here are my Wisconsin plates, on my BMW "Baby" pictured above. If you see me on the roads of Milwaukee, just wave!

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I also collect Statue of Liberty memorabilia and am a card-carrying member of the Statue of Liberty Collector's Club. I love America's Lady Liberty! (Did you know her true title is "Liberty Enlightening the World"?)

OK, so they're liberal. But I adore them anyway. Who am I talking about? U2 of course! I love this band with all my heart, I think they are the best secular band EVER!

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I just adore our Secretary of Defense, Donald "Mad Dog" Rumsfeld.I am so honored and proud that this Eagle Scout, Navy flyer and Medal of Freedom honoree would become our Secretary of Defense. I love Rummy's unwavering support for our military and our president, his bulldogged refusal to answer stupid and dangerous questions from our press, and his quick wit. I think he is doing about the best job possible and we couldn't ask for anything more in a SOD!!

I am also an avid fan of Michael Nesmith. Most of you know him as one of the Monkees, but I know him as author, playwright, musician, entrepreneur, the father of southern rock and MTV, etc etc. Check out Nez's official fan site Dedicated Friends, or click on the "Magenetic South" CD (Papa Nez's first post-Monkees album) to get to check out Nez's own personal site Videoranch, where you can buy all his videos, CDs, and special autographed memorabilia.

What!! You read my WHOLE profile?? Thanks!! What did you think???