Growing up in the West Virginia mountain town of Charleston, Jennifer Garner didn’t dream of being a screen star – she wanted to be a librarian.

“This is about as far from Hollywood as any place on Earth. I wanted to be a children’s book author and a librarian,” Garner, 36, tells PEOPLE while back in Charleston, where her weekend was to include reading Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson at a gathering to help eventually expand the public library.

“My mom took my sisters and me to the library once a week when we were kids,” she recalls, “and it’s such a huge community center, especially in a town that has very few resources – to have a place with 100 computers and Internet access to everyone for free, that’s really important in a town like this.”

Back on Familiar Turf
It’s been a real homecoming for the actress who, with husband Ben Affleck, flew into Charleston Friday afternoon and hosted a black-tie gala, Starry Starry Night, at the University of Charleston.

The event raised $475,000 toward building a new athletic center in memory of Garner’s childhood friend’s parents, Mario and Louise Palumbo. (Her friend is state senator Corey Palumbo.)

“When we got off the plane, Ben realized he had forgotten his bow tie. I had worked at Kelley’s Men’s Shop all through high school, so I said, ‘Let’s go to Kelley’s.’ And everybody I knew was there,” she says.

Calming to Return
“I’m always so happy to come home. There’s never enough time. Just seeing the mountains, and seeing the green, and the river is the most soothing thing in the world for me,” says Garner, who is expecting the Afflecks’s second child this winter. (Daughter Violet turns three on Dec. 1.)

“Sometimes you just need to get you feet in the soil. It’s invigorating and calming at the same time,” she says.

So, how about returning to her original intention in life: Is Garner working on a children’s book?

“I would love to,” she says. “But I haven’t had the inspiration yet.”

Source: People.com

With the help of Friday night’s one-hour TV event, more than 100 million dollars has been raised for cancer research.

The amount comes not just from viewers of the “Stand Up to Cancer” special that was aired on three networks and a cable channel. It also includes money raised since last May, when the initiative was launched.

The organization behind it says all of the money will go directly to funding cancer research programs.

Research advocates and about 100 stars from music, sports, TV and film took part in Friday’s live event. They included Jennifer Garner, Jack Black, Jennifer Aniston, Halle Berry and Keanu Reeves. Sitcom star Brad Garrett underwent an on-the-air prostate exam.

The telecast was aimed not just at fundraising, but also at educating the public on cancer prevention and treatment.

Source: Associated Press

The Discovery Channel has a new network called Planet Green with airs a show called Hollywood Green with Maria Menounos. On the September 11 episode, Jennifer will be on to discusses going green, growing her own organic food.

To check if your satellite/cable carrier offers Planet Green, visit http://planetgreen.channelfinder.net.

Their family is about to grow, and now Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck may be in the market for roomier digs.

“I guess they are looking for a bigger place now,” pal Kevin Smith told PEOPLE at a the Maxim magazine party on Saturday in San Diego where he attended Comic-Con.

The director-actor, who is a longtime friend of Affleck and starred with Garner in 2006’s Catch and Release, also revealed how he learned the news that the couple – who are parents to daughter Violet, 2 – are expecting again.

“I saw him last week. Ben came over to watch my movie (Zack and Miri Make a Porno) at the house, and he told me, ‘We’re having another baby,'” recalls Smith.

He added that parenthood comes naturally to both stars. “[Jen] is such a Martha Stewart type. She is a perfect mom,” he says. “And [Ben] is a great dad, which I found not that surprising, but it’s a side of him that I never thought about before he became a dad. He’s a great father. He loves that kid of his.”

Source: People.com

Surprise! I am in the middle of converting Jen’s site to WordPress but wanted to put it up before the conversion is finished because of the exciting news of Jennifer’s pregnancy.

More goodies to come in the coming weeks! I hope you like the new site.

Jennifer Garner and husband Ben Affleck are expecting another baby, Garner’s former Alias co-star Victor Garber confirms to Us.

“Yes, she is,” Garber – who officiated the couple’s 2005 wedding – told Us when asked if recent speculation was true that the couple is expecting.

A source adds, “She is five months pregnant. They are very happy.”

Garner, 36, and Affleck, 35, are parents to two-year-old daughter Violet – one of Us’ Babies of the Year.

“Honestly, that child is so inquisitive and so full of life — it’s all Jennifer and Ben!” Garber gushed to Usmagazine.com in November 2007. “I have to say, he’s an amazing dad and together, she’s a very fortunate little girl to be in that family!”

Garner hinted in October that she wanted to have another child.

“We definitely wonder what it would be like to have another – hopefully, knock on wood, someday,” Garner told Britain’s Marie Claire. “My job is great to have as a mom. I get to take breaks and then work in a really concentrated way. During that concentrated time, it sucks, but whatever.”

Photos of Garner in loose fitting tops have had Web sites speculating about a bun in the oven for weeks.

Reps only confirmed Garner’s first pregnancy after she and Affleck tied the knot on the Turks and Caicos on June 29, 2005.

When it comes to Violet, Garner has revealed she’s a total daddy’s girl.

“You know how as a kid you picture yourself with a tall, handsome husband, and you imagine him cuddling your baby?” Ben is like that, like, on crack,” she told the May 2007 issue of In Style. “Violet prefers him to anyone. He’s a teddy bear of a guy. Nothing makes me happier than to see the two of them together and her little hands on his face. He has a prevailing calm. Of course, he has the benefit of sleep.”

Affleck recently opened up to Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush about his happy family life.

“Things couldn’t be better. We’re kind of taking it easy and just kind of enjoying a little downtime at home,” Affleck said.

Source: USMagazine.com