|  Send a snappy and sassy "Huzza for Uppity Women Day" e-card to your friends and foes alike (the latter may need it even more). Only available on www.uppitywomenrule.com—just download, print, fold, and send.
This week, put a message on your answering machine that says, "please leave a message—and don't forget to make your mark on Uppity Women Day, March 8" Put a similar message header on your email—and give the www.uppitywomenrule.com website address, while you're at it. Put an Uppity Women Rule! Bumper sticker on your car, briefcase, bulletin board, workspace, computer, or refrigerator. Or pass them out at the office! Where to purchase? Contact Conari Press at 800/685-8585.  | On this day, wear a fresh gardenia to remember Jane Colden, the young New York botanist who was its discoverer. Get one foryour best pal, too. Tell the florist Jane's story—bet he or she'll | | be surprised. And for everyone who asks, "Why're you wearing a gardenia?" Tell 'em why this flower should have been a 'Coldenia.' |  | | Attention globe-trotting women and gardeners: here's your chance to commemorate a famous botanical and geographical first--the two year, epic voyage made by Jeanne Baret around the world by ship, which successfully ended on March 8, 1769. As botanical assistant, and in drag for half the voyage, Jeane helped discover the bougainvillea plant in Brazil--now a "world traveler" itself. Go ahead--plant, buy, or make a point of at least admiring one of these flamboyant plants. Or give a cutting to a friend--along with Jeanne's story. Or, for the big-ticket historical hellion: take your own around-the-world cruise to emulate Jeanne--history's first female to circumnavigate our planet. To be really authentic, you'll need to forego the deodorant, dress as an 18th century French sailor, and spend two years on a sailing ship! (sounds restful.)
Fax or call your local public or community radio station with a few requests, and we don't mean music: ask them for more calendar items, features, and special stories on uppity women, past and present, to be aired during Women's History Month. While you're at it, go crazy: ask them to air more shows like this dxuring the other eleven months.
| |  | In this attire (the vertical stripes--so slimming!), Frenchwoman Jeanne Baret worked like a mule for ship's botanist Commerson, suffering scurvy and starvation (so slimming!) at sea, and fighting jungles on land to find new plants like the colorful bougainvillea. Her duds fooled the crew for a year. | | Then she went ashore at Tahiti, and was met by "ooh la la!"from the sharp-eyed island men. Her "outing" notwithstanding, Baret completed her journey and was met with the same honor as the 200 men of the voyage. | Are you the designated newsletter editor for your book group, women's network, church group, crone group, AAUW, NOW, etc? Please put in a plug for Uppity Women Day March 8—and feel free to list all or part of these activity suggestions.
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