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Hello, I am “Cordelia’s Mom.”
That, of course, is not my real name, but it’s how I was known in Cordelia Calls It Quits, the fabulous blog written by my daughter, Kelly Gurnett. It was there that I got my entrance to the blogosphere. Rather than create a new name when setting up my own blog, it was easier to continue with “Cordelia’s Mom.” I’m lazy that way.
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Just like Kelly/Cordelia and like most little girls, I dreamed of being a writer when I grew up. In elementary school, I wrote poems and stories which I gave to all my relatives and teachers. My sixth grade teacher allowed me an entire class period to read one of my stories aloud to my classmates, and they loved it. I was almost popular for a whole day!
But then came 11th grade — and English Teacher Mr. V. I wrote a story incorporating every ounce of my teenage dreams, desires and fears and presented it to Mr. V, who took one look, told me it was garbage and why didn’t I write about something I knew. Within 5 minutes, Mr. V had convinced me that no one would ever have any interest in anything I might write, or for that matter, in anything I might ever have to say.
I stopped writing.
The following week, I went to my guidance counselor and changed all my advanced placement and college bound courses for business courses (typing, stenography, bookkeeping). I graduated high school and took a job with the federal government, where creativity is not only unnecessary but actually frowned upon.
I got married, had children, and went on with my life, assuming that I was right to give up my childhood dreams. Until — my daughter started her own blog, became successful at it, and began encouraging me to write a post as her guest. I really thought she was nuts (I knew from that old teacher that my life was boring, boring, boring!), but eventually she talked me into it. I found I not only enjoy writing, but according to Cordelia’s (and my) readers, I am actually good at it!
With the additional encouragement of both Kelly/Cordelia and our readers, I decided to start my own blog. Like most bloggers, I was terrified that no one would come to visit, but then I realized that even if only one non-relative reads and enjoys my posts, I have succeeded. And with each additional reader, my success is reaffirmed.
Who I Am, Really
While I’m not quite ready to reveal my actual name (I like being a mystery woman, although you may call me CookieCakes), I can provide you with some basic information about me.
I am a woman in my 60’s, with a wonderful husband, three outstanding grown daughters, and a mixed Golden Retriever/German Shepherd dog named Cody.
I am now officially retired, but working part-time as a legal secretary inasmuch as Social Security is not adequate to pay the bills. For more than 20 years prior to retirement, I was a full-time real estate paralegal, which I sometimes loved and sometimes hated, but it did give me lots of material for later use in my blog posts.
I spend my free time reading books, taking photographs, and playing videogames. And, of course, writing this blog!
And Now, On to the Main Event
As I say in my introductory post, my stories will entertain you, titillate you, and maybe even make you cry. I hope all my readers enjoy my posts as much as I enjoy writing them!
Cordelia's Mom, Still 
Because I find your blog simply wonderful, I have put you up for one or two awards (you can accept one, both, or neither, LOL); The Sunshine Award and the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award. All the information you need is over at http://musingsfromaworkaholic.com/2014/04/20/sunshine-sisterhood-sunday/ I absolutely get it if you have so much going on that you don’t post, but wanted you to know that I really enjoy your posts, and wanted to share them with my readers, as well. I know we just “met” recently, but I know what I like. 😉
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You’re joking, right? (but really, you don’t look like a mean person). I’ve never been nominated for any kind of award in my entire life! Thank you for making me feel extra special this morning.
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I can’t believe you haven’t gotten a bunch of these already! So, no…no joke, here. 🙂 You’re so welcome!
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So, I got another one and wanted to share, because your blogs sound like the inside of my head in many cases…and I mean this in the nicest way. 🙂
I was given a Word Press Family award, and given our interactions over the past weeks, if I were going to have a blog-family (dysfunctional or otherwise) I selected ten of my blog family. The details are here:
http://musingsfromaworkaholic.com/2014/05/04/the-hangover-chronicles-and-an-award/
I totally get it if you’re busy, don’t do awards, yada yada yada, but wanted to just let you know that your blog and/or input on mine makes me stop and think.
Thanks, y’all.
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Thanks, Julie. I’ve replied over on your blog.
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Dude, now that is an About page…
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Thank you, kind sir.
PS: I’m not a dude, I’m a lady (well at least most of the time) – maybe I better change that photograph.
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Dude, I call everyone dude. It’s a sign of my intense immaturity and lack of anything approaching intelligence. I like to wallow in my mediocre intellect whenever possible, and I feel like the excessive, non-genderized use of the word ‘dude’ provides ample warning to those I interact with of my borderline lunacy.
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I knew that, just yanking your chain. You may call me anything you want so long as you read and occasionally comment.
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Dude, I am a king commenter. I follow few blogs but those I do I enjoy and I comment, that’s just me. I love my blog friends.
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I’m honored that you’ve decided to follow my blog. At least I think I’m honored – is my blog that good, or that bad?
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Seems pretty funny to me. I like funny.
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So you are the one that Archon keeps mentioning!
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Yes, one and the same. Thanks so much from coming over to read my version of the story.
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… and cheers to your hospitality!
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I just marked your blog in my favorites so I can read your post on “Snarks R Us” on the 18th. I love that word…it sounds so much like it is! Makes me laugh every time I hear it, and I am always trying hard not to be “snarky.” Blessings on your day.
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Thank you for the follow! Snarks ‘R Us is a regular post series, at least until I run out of spam comments (not likely any time soon). And I’m so glad someone else likes that title – most of my readers preferred the Spam-Bam title, but Snarks is my favorite.
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Evidently Mr. V had watched Anne of Green Gables, in which Gilbert tells Anne to write what she knows. Although L.M.M. was a genius, she’s not always right. Sometimes it’s good to write what we don’t know, and learn as we go. 🙂
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Why, thank you! You may well be right. In any event, I proved him wrong – I am capable of writing both truth and fiction.
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Superb Blog,i like very much ,i invite You to my lonely place, Regards from Poland,EM
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Thanks. I did check your site – awesome pictures!
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I feel like you are definitely a “non-Liebster” sort of gal but I love your blog so I nominated you anyway. If you want to check out the 11 very interesting questions I have posed to my nominees, take a quick peek at http://stuffmydogtaughtme.
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Thanks, Kim. Although I don’t qualify for the award (I have more than 200 followers), I am honored that you nominated me, and I think I’ll do a post thanking you for the nomination.
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Hello and thank you for the follow it is like receiving a warm smile or a friendly wave from a stranger. I look forward to reading your blog! xxx
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I should have followed you a long time ago. Now I’ll have to play catch-up!
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Thank you !
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Mr. V? Boo. Hiss. But the best revenge is living well, and it sounds like you’re avenged.
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In a way, Mr. V did me a favor. Were it not for my need to prove myself, I never would have started this blog, and never would have received such lovely comments from readers. Thank you.
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I just nominated you for the Encouraging Thunder award: https://erichmichaels.wordpress.com/2015/05/31/69/
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Thank, Erich. I’m honored, and I accept the award. Heaven knows I need some thunder in my life occasionally.
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You are absolutely welcome!
We can all use some thunder 🙂
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BTW, I wanted to post my acceptance tonight but ran out of time. I’ll work on it tomorrow and publish on Tuesday. Just so you know I’m not an ungrateful wench.
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I’d never think that. I received it early in the week and couldn’t get it done until yesterday. So I’m with you. 🙂
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So nice to meet you, CM. I had a Mr. V who told an entire class of freshmen English that not a one of us could write “worth a damn”. I took the bait and changed my major from Journalism to Spanish, my next favorite field. I realized years later what he was trying to do. Writing/Journalism is full of rejection, and he was testing us. I failed that test, but went on to write/teach in almost every job I had thereafter. Looking forward to following your blog. ☺ Van
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In hindsight, I think Mr. V was just trying to steer me into a different field – at that time, most women aspired to nothing higher than clerical work (if they didn’t get married and have kids right out of high school, of course).
Thanks for coming over to my site. I have some exciting posts coming up.
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Hey there CM! I do a blog following spree every once in a while, and this July I’m going 7 for 7: following 7 fun blogs a day, each day, for the seventh month. Yours is today’s #3. Feel free to come visit me at http://www.thatssojacob.wordpress.com and if you like what you read, follow back! Thanks and have a great day!
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Well, I thank you, Jacob, and I’m very happy that I’m #3 and not #7, but really – I couldn’t be #1?
Just teasing you, of course – I appreciate the follow! I have some really exciting posts coming up.
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Can’t believe I am just now reading this!
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Better late than never! Now you know who I am, more or less. 🙂
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A delightful and inspiring blog! Write on….mystery gal! ✍(◔◡◔)
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And that is a delightful comment! Thanks!
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My pleasure!ヾ(´▽｀;)ゝ
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CookieCakes?????????????? How the hell did I miss that one!
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It’s Ok, Jason. Considering all the blogs you follow, you’re bound to miss a post or two. Thanks for coming back to read the About page.
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This may or may not have made it into the review…
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Your review is included in the one I just posted! 🙂
http://aopinionatedman.com/2015/10/23/weekly-blog-reviews-3/
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Thank you. I saw it. You were quite kind.
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LoL I was! 😉
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Nice to meet you!
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Thank you! And thanks for the follow – hope I can keep your interest.
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I certainly can sympathize with your crushed dreams early in life. I had a gift for drawing that could have been my life’s calling. I entered the Draw Me contest and won. A representative from the Chicago Art Institute sent a representative to St Louis to see my work and was impressed enough to off a free scholarship to that school. My parents kicked him out of our home, stating art was not a serious profession. I too have up my passion, crushed by parent’s unwillingness to allow my dream.
I turned to photography shortly after college, 45 years ago. I express myself with my pictures now, wondering how different my life could have been.
I enjoyed reading your story and thank you for stopping by my blog. It has gone into hibernation for the Winter months but count on Spring reviving my prolific shooting. 🙂
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How awful for you to have your dream crushed like that! But, you know, it’s never too late to rekindle a dream. You were talented as a young man, and I’m sure that talent is still there – actually, I know it is from seeing your photos. Get yourself some art supplies and see what happens. You never know.
Thanks for taking the time to read my About page. I’ve managed to rekindle my dream by way of this blog, Mr. V be damned.
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I tried to force my interest back to art last year, spending quite a bit of money on art supplies. I wound up giving them all away to young people with a passion for fine art. My life is full with photography that now includes teaching people who would like to learn more. I’m very proud in both my students from Portland, OR and still keep in contact with both.
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Thank you for coming over to read my blog earlier today. I wanted to return the favor and say hi. It as interesting to learn a little more about you. I’m sorry that your 11th grade teacher said such a stupid thing to you. I’m sure there were a lot of things that could have been changed in your story. You were only 16 or 17 at the time. Who writes mature fiction at that age? But you had talent and your enthusiasm was completely snuffed out. That a teacher doing precisely the opposite of her job.
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Ah, I went back up to check! That’s a teacher doing precisely the opposite of his job! 🙂
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I think that teacher had some issues of his own. But I’m writing now (more or less), so all is forgiven.
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Ha, I don’t write mature fiction now! But I thank you for your kind comments, and hope I can keep you entertained with future posts. I only occasionally have a serious, dark post – usually I go for light humor. Thanks for joining me. (Oh, and be sure to check out the mirror blog – that lady is truly nuts.)
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Thank you! I will! 🙂
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For some reason, I dunno why I hadn’t been Following you till now. I thought I clicked on FOLLOW a long time ago…GRRR…..But I’m happy to be here and put a face to the “name” 🙂
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I’ve seen your name before – I thought you were a follower, too. Sometimes WordPress just drops followers, I don’t know why. In any event, I’m glad you found your way back.
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That maybe explains why I haven’t been seeing your posts, although, I still don’t understand it. But I would like to thank you for visiting my blogs at times, too ::
I like Cordelia’s Mom. Maybe I’ll like she who is Not Cordelia’s Mom as well *crossing fingers* 😉
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Ha! No one likes Not CM – that’s the whole point. I can hardly wait to see what she has to say about my current employment situation.
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LOL!!!! We’ll support you, CM 🙂
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Your teacher was right, actually — write what you know. His mistake was thinking you didn’t know your own dreams, desires and fears. I don’t even get why he said that.
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I think he said that because he didn’t want to see me “waste my life” on an artistic career. At the time I was in high school, women were expected to become either housewives or receptionists (if they couldn’t find someone to marry them).
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I see. It was, at least, for a good intention.
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Great Blog. Love the pictures of Cody.
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Thank you. She is very photogenic.
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Hi, thank you for stopping by my blog and commented. Sorry to find out about your 11th grade teacher. No teacher should have said such a thing to the students. I’m happy to see you’ve been blogging for years with award and affirmation.
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Thanks. Not too many people read the About page these days; I’m glad you did.
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I know., I’m glad I did.
I had many people reading the About page in the early years. But I only got 2 in 2019 and 2 in 2020. Most of the 485 comments were from the previous years.
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