March 13, 2010 (the day after) Thanks, everyone, for all your support and encouragement! So far we've managed to raise over $2,000 for St. Baldrick's Foundation, funds that are deeply appreciated by the many families who spoke about their experiences with childhood cancer at yesterday's event. There's still time to donate! Just click the link above to learn how to give via web, phone or mail. The weather was gorgeous, and my dear friend Chris decided last week to join in the shearing, chasing away any remaining uncertainty about this venture. As you can see from the photos, I ended up with two 3/4" diameter ponytails to donate to Locks of Love (www.locksoflove.org), perhaps 1/3 of a wig's worth. My volunteer barber did a great job! Joe drove me home last night and is still here today. Although our friends' 16-month-old wasn't sure he recognized me after the shave (got used to pulling my ponytail, I guess) the cats haven't noticed much difference yet. I think it's only a matter of time before they start trying to groom me, though. Anyway, enjoy the photos. Yes, you may rub my head for luck, but I can't guarantee what kind of luck you'll get! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 12, 2010 (the day of) Please drink a toast to our pal Dizzy Smith, who starts chemo next week for lymphoma. He's the one who really has to be brave. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 1, 2010 Dear Friends & Family: Soon I will make the supreme sacrifice, since I suspect that my hair may well be my last remaining physical asset. Joe has had his head shaved several times for St. Baldrick's, though not recently due to formal events scheduled in the spring of 2008 and 2009. Now it's my turn. Mostly I want to assure you that I'm not ill. Also, when my hair grows back it will likely be, um, significantly lighter in color. Some of you may recall years ago when our friend John shaved himself a tonsure to go with his friar's outfit for a Renaissance Fair. Sadly, this coincided with his natural, genetically ordained thinning, and his hair never grew back to quite the same fullness. Similarly, since I've decided to stop dyeing my hair after the shave, my eventual appearance may be a bit startling. But it's just age, not fright. My hair started graying with a vengeance about 15 years ago, and I've been dabbling at a lifelong dream to become a redhead for the last seven or eight. The hair itself will go to Locks of Love (www.locksoflove.org) for use in creating wigs for disadvantaged children who have lost their own hair due to any medical condition. I'm really going to miss my hair. My mother used to call me "Cousin Itt" when it was at its longest and thickest. Braided into two plaits, it provided handy and effective self-defense against annoying middle school boys. I learned a lot of Beatles harmonies and all of Bob Dylan's "Blonde on Blonde" while having it cut by my high school friends Moose and Brinker. I participate in this year's St. Baldrick's fundraising event to honor my father, 15-year survivor of colon cancer; Farrell W. "Uncle Farley" Ackley, my high school history and psychology teacher, currently in treatment for a brain tumor; and our friends Christina DeMunda, Leslie Elder, Sara Widener, and Mark Kantrowitz, all of whom are way too young to have survived cancer so many years already. Our friend Dizzy Smith was just recently diagnosed with stage 3 or 4 lymphoma, also abominably early in life. I also want to honor the memory of my niece Lauren's kindergarten classmate, Elena Desserich; our dear friend and colleague Peter Millard, who succumbed to lung damage caused by cancer treatment; Michelle Sauter, mother of three very young daughters; Cheryl Bright, a brilliant pianist with a smile that could chase away any cloud; Mama K, whose breast cancer spread painfully to her spine; and Mama Sandi, who endured three types of cancer before passing away peacefully in July 2008. (Read Elena's story at www.notesleftbehind.com.) Please join me in helping to fund research on childhood cancers.