Things I Did in 2011:

• Graduated from SCSU (with a B.A. in English & with a GPA that was over 3 points higher than the GPA I left school with in Spring 06)
• Was accepted to Andover Newton!!
• Moved to Massachusetts
• Started Seminary :)
• Placed in the Connecticut State University Poetry Contest and the Connecticut State University Fiction Contest
• Had a music benefit held in my honor
• Had/have teachers who really inspire me to learn
• Went to UCC General Synod in Tampa
• Was attacked by a pigeon at UCC General Synod in Tampa
• Built what was probably the coolest long-term fort ever in my room (yeah, i still do that at 24... it is an accomplishment)
• Left the publisher I used to work at, started working at Starbucks (stahbucks)
• Experienced, like, the longest winter ever... and then a crazy hurricane in the summer
• Read my poetry in public (at the Buttonwood Tree) with some great friends
• Went to my childhood best friend's wedding
• Saw my friend direct Pirates of Penzance
• Watched my youth group kids go off to follow their dreams
• Was published in Folio literary magazine :)
• Sent out poetry to other magazines
• Learned hand-building for ceramics
• Took piano lessons (for college credit!)
• Had a summer off from school (the first in 5 years!!)
• Made some awesome new friends at school/my new job <3 (this is my favorite!)
• And most recently: I bought a shelf (like two days ago) and it is the very first piece of furniture I bought for myself while not living with my family... I don't know if that should be an accomplishment, but I think it is. (it's a real classy shelf too... one of those MDF, pre-drilled holes, laminated shelves.) :)

Be Bold, Be Bald!

This year, I'll be participating in a fundraiser to raise money for cancer research, patient care, etc. through a project called Be Bold, Be Bald! 


I'll be wearing a bald cap all day and I've set my fundraising goal at $150. If we can meet that, great! If we can go beyond that, awesome! And I say "we" because this is a team effort. I'll be wearing the bald cap but I need sponsors. 


I can't imagine there still exist people whose lives haven't been affected, in some way, by cancer. If there are, realize how blessed you are. I've had family and friends who have fought cancer and I've lost family to cancer. And, I know he wasn't a human, I've also lost a dog to lung cancer. Now, the fundraiser is for research/care for cancer in humans, but I was trying to illustrate my point. 


So, I set the bar low, I think. If I get 30 friends with $5, well, this will be easy as pie for all of us. If I get 15 friends with $10, that works too. If I get some friends with $1 and some friends with $10, and some who aren't feeling the effects of the economy right now with $30, well, hey we are on a roll. 


HOW CAN YOU HELP FIGHT CANCER?


Go to my Be Bold, Be Bald! 2011 fundraising page:  http://beboldbebald.kintera.org/MaddieDatANTS