hippo birdie two mouse!

today marks the one year anniversary of mouse medicine. I can't believe I've been blogging for a year - on one hand it seems like I just started this (activity) (pastime) (compulsion), then on the other hand, it seems like I've been doing it forever.

this morning while listening to npr's morning edition (another of my minor compulsions) I learned that today is also the 40th anniversary of the first show of mister rogers neighborhood. I found an incredible sense of joy in this coincidence. while some folks make fun of mister rogers, I can never engage in bashing him or his show. I believe the world would be a much better place if more people would adopt fred rogers' sweet simplicity, sense of wonder, understanding of the importance of make believe, and gentle soul.

blogging has brought forth an abundance of unexpected riches in that it has provided another avenue where I can feel connected to the world community or global village -- normal barriers such as distance, region of country, nationality, and time are rendered invisible in the blogosphere. one of the main reasons I first began blogging was to have another method of communicating with family and friends. a few weeks after I started the mouse I was going on a 'big trip' and I thought a blog would be a good way to keep people abreast on my adventures. but the blog has also allowed me to collect more friends (and I'm not using the word cavalierly) and delightfully these friends are scattered all over the country and the world. so the biggest unexpected treasure is I can say I have more friends now than I had before I began this (activity) (pastime) (compulsion). sometimes the connection with my new friends remains in the blogosphere - but not always! during the fall, I had my first opportunity to meet two blogging buds when they came to cleveland. I met julien from paris and polly from california and it was wonderful. I only wish their visits had overlapped especially since I became acquainted to both of them through a connection they had via their respective blogs. this weekend I will meet reya and barbara, two more buds from the cyberhood, when I head down to metro DC. but even if person to person meetings aren't possible I have found that some cyberhood connections transcend superficiality and real compassion, empathy, and friendship happen. as humans we have more in common with one another than we have differences. what a treasure.

along with sharing an anniversary with mister rogers' neighborhood the other fun bit of serendipity I discovered is that in the first year of mouse medicine I posted 333 posts. I don't know about you but I've always found a bit of magic in the number 3! so with that in mind, I close this first post of the mouse's second year with this tune for your enjoyment..


I look forward to another year of being part of the global village! thank you.


photo: huskymouse storrs, connecticut 2005 (and with this picture I am opening the door for lots of she's a real dog jokes!!)