women's day

It's Women's History Month, as well as International Women's Day today, and even though it's only March 7th, I've already come across a lot of neat stuff that is women-related:

The National Women's History Project declares 2009 as the year "women take the lead to save the planet." Rachel Carson is the model for the theme (Silent Spring is a great book). She was a local girl - she got her master's degree in zoology from Johns Hopkins University, and she wrote for the Baltimore Sun during the Depression. She died in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Fifteen women are receiving research grants to pursue doctoral or post-doc research. And that's quite a team of supporters - UNESCO and L'Oreal.

Ada Lovelace Day is coming up on March 24 to draw attention to women in technology. She was Lord Byron's daughter and one of the world's first computer programmers. Not bad for the mid-1800s. She figures largely in Lord Byron's Novel by John Crowley.

BBC4 has a program about that touchy word "spinster." Ann Widdecombe (a well-known British MP and single woman) narrates. I think I need to read The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie again. Loved the Maggie Smith film version.

They have another program about the image of women in the media and a good article to go along with. There's even an upcoming program on the ever-changing definition of feminism. I've changed my definition several times, but that's another blog post entirely.

And speaking of feminism, I do my best to keep up with the latest issues of Bust magazine. Especially because the editor is Debbie Stoller, she of Stitch 'n Bitch fame.

And speaking of Stitch 'n Bitch, I've found a yummy palette of yarn designed by Kristin Nicholas. She named it after her daughter, Julia. I can't stop staring at the colors on that first pillow. And don't even get me started on the colors in this scarf - imagine wearing that in the dull gray of winter; instant cheery-upper. I think I lust after these colors because I'm so disappointed in colors of the yarn that I'm using for my current project (and the yarn has a funny chemically smell), but that's also for another blog post. Anyway, Kristin Nicholas is known for her color expertise, so I hope to try her yarn soon. (Here's a collage of some of her swatches using Julia yarn.) I've mentioned before that I really enjoy her blog - she lives on a sheep farm in Massachusetts with her husband and daughter, she has a sunflower field, she takes great pictures, and she has an enviable creative life - at least I envy it.

Tell all the women you know to sign up for the Army of Women research project. They're trying to recruit at least one million women. You get e-mail updates about upcoming breast cancer treatment and prevention trials and if you qualify, they make it easy to get more information and volunteer for the trials. The latest one is the Sisters trial (women who have sisters with breast cancer). Dr. Susan Love is the main brains behind this.

And perhaps it's mere coincidence, but I received samples of Always new Infinity pads in the mail yesterday, unasked for. I actually laughed when I saw them in my mailbox. Their tagline is always good for a giggle: "Have a happy period." As if.

Oh, and 3 Mo' Divas is on PBS. Fun gospel/jazz/opera/blues to listen to, and the ladies are a hoot!