Cordelia's Mom, Still

BLOGGING PSYCHOLOGY 101

Posted on July 26, 2014 by cordeliasmom2012

It was a fun 24 hours, but it’s time to come clean. With apologies to anyone who feels they were, in fact, deceived, I hope you’ll appreciate my guest post and that you’ll continue to follow both of my blogs.

Posted in Not Cordelia's Mom, That's Life | 7 Comments

Is Hate Traffic Better Than No Traffic?

Posted on July 26, 2014 by cordeliasmom2012

Enough is enough.

I recently discovered a new blogger on WordPress who apparently has major issues with sweet, old Cordelia’s Mom. I intended to simply follow Not Cordelia’s Mom (yeah, you read that right) for awhile and let her hang herself, so to speak.

But Not Cordelia’s Mom has now taken shots at my post “Fifty Years Later.” Judging from the comments, that post touched a lot of heart-strings among my readers.

Not Cordelia’s Mom just published her own post, entitled “So Just Marry Rich,” which takes umbrage with “Fifty Years Later.”

Now I’m pissed.

I wasn’t thrilled that Not Cordelia’s Mom stole my header design and some of the language on my home page, but I was willing to let it slide since there’s really no way to prevent something like that from happening, and attempting to go after someone for copyright infringement would be expensive, stressful, and possibly unsuccessful.

I didn’t mind when Not Cordelia’s Mom targeted my Spam-Bam Thank You Ma’am series. After all, that’s a silly feature that lends itself to snarkiness from all sides.

But, to malign my serious post about my own childhood is just too much for me.

I’m not sure at this point how to handle the situation. On one hand, having a detractor would seem to indicate that I have finally “arrived” as a blogger. On the other hand, I’m not sure just how far I should let Not Cordelia’s Mom go in her rants against me.

The situation is complicated by the fact that I have a sneaking suspicion as to who Not Cordelia’s Mom really is, and I’m having a hard time understanding why, after all this time, she still hates me so. I find it a little frightening that someone could harbor such vehemence for such a long time.

Anyone want to advise me on this? Check out Not Cordelia’s Mom’s blog and let me know what you think I should do, if anything.

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I love to hear from my readers. You may comment on this post, comment on my Facebook page, or email me at cordeliasmom2012@yahoo.com

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Images by Tambako The Jaguar, and bark, respectively

Fifty Years Later

Posted on July 24, 2014 by cordeliasmom2012

“So, we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”

(Final sentence of The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald [ISBN-13: 978-0-7432-7356-5])

I’m somewhat embarrassed to admit that I waited until the age of 62 to first read that classic novel.

And, as luck would have it, I read this last sentence on the very night that I had done a real estate closing which required me to meet the other paralegal in the village where I grew up.

After the closing, I decided to drive through the little village, eventually passing the street my childhood house was on. Frankly, I was shocked at how dilapidated and dirty the buildings and streets looked. I certainly don’t remember them being like that when I was little. By the time I got to my childhood street, I was too depressed to even drive past the house I had lived in with my parents and brothers.

Not that the neighborhood I live in now is that much different. It’s in a town rather than a village, but both are suburban. Probably when my kids come home, they think the same thing I did: “OMG, I grew up in THIS house?!”

Can you ever really return to your childhood? Everything looks so much bigger and brighter to children. As adults, we view everything through eyes that have seen both the worst and the best.

I remember being sick as a toddler and my mom taking me to the doctor. The doctor seemed to me like a huge and intimidating man. As an adult, I got sick and went back to the same doctor, and only then realized he was actually shorter and thinner than I am and quite personable.

As a child, I had my own bedroom (a real treat in the 1950s when the post-war-built houses were all so small). I remember thinking the 10’ x 12’ room was palatial and glamorous. Now I own a whole house and yard, and consider it merely cozy, and never mind what I would call my decorating scheme after raising 3 kids and 3 dogs, along with assorted other critters.

As a child, I thought my parents had unlimited funds, and I could never understand why I couldn’t have that doll/game/toy that I wanted right now. Many decades later, I understand completely.

As a child, it never occurred to me that my mother wouldn’t always be there to help me through difficult times. As a child, it never occurred to me that I, myself, might someday become ill and die. As a child, I would never have accepted either scenario. Maturity has brought me an understanding and acceptance of both illness and death.

Would I ever want to return to my childhood? Possibly. But only for a short day-trip. I don’t miss the insecurity of childhood. I don’t miss having no real say in daily activities, meals, bedtime or bathtime. And while I admit it was nice having a mommy to take care of me, I much prefer standing on my own two feet and overcoming my own obstacles.

Sometimes memories are best kept as memories. I doubt that I will revisit my little village again any time soon.

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I love to hear from my readers. You may comment on this post, comment on my Facebook page, or email me at cordeliasmom2012@yahoo.com

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Images by: Duane Romanell, and Sharyn Morrow, and Alice Popkorn, respectively

Posted in That's Life | Tagged childhood, Great Gatsby, home, memories | 15 Comments

Spam-Bam Thank You Ma’am (July 2014)

Posted on July 17, 2014 by cordeliasmom2012

The above title is apparently irresistible to my readers. Welcome to the newest feature of this blog (definitely something to look forward to each month!)

I find it amusing that everyone loves my responses to spammers, given the fact that I am one of those people who gets involved in an altercation of some kind and then several hours later thinks: “Damn, I should have said …”

I’ve noticed that some comments which have found their way into my spam filter are ones that appear to offer me payment for either guest posting or linking back to the commenter’s website. I assume these comments are, in fact spam, but please note:

If you legitimately wish me to guest post, or to write an article for your website, please send me an email with the details (cordeliasmom2012@yahoo.com).

And so, on to this month’s edition of Snarks ‘R Us (well, I think that title is cute, even if no one else does).

(As usual, apologies to the appropriate commenter if any of the following weren’t, in fact, spam. I realize that some comments suffer in translation, and I try to take that into account when determining what is spam and what is legitimate.)

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Comment:

“I create a comment each time I like a article on a site or I have something to contribute to the discussion. It’s caused by the passion displayed in the article I browsed. And on this article More Fun With Spam | Cordelia’s Mom, Still. I was excited enough to write a comment 🙂 I do have 2 questions for you if you tend not to mind. Could it be just me or do a few of the remarks appear like they are written by brain dead visitors? 😛 And, if you are posting on other online sites, I would like to keep up with anything fresh you have to post. Would you list all of all your public pages like your linkedin profile, Facebook page or twitter feed?”

Response:

Gotta love this one – a spammer commenting on my responses to spammers! And yes, more than a few of the remarks appear like they are written by brain dead visitors. Actually, some of my legitimate comments seem to fall into that category, as well. By the way, there is a button on my home page to link to my Facebook page, but I don’t have a Twitter feed. So sorry.

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Comment:

“The account aided me a appropriate deal. I had been a little bit acquainted of this your broadcast provided shiny clear idea”

Response:

Speaking of brain dead …

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Comment:

“Hi would you mind letting me know which hosting company you’re utilizing?
I’ve loaded your blog in 3 different web browsers and I must say this blog loads a lot quicker then most. Can you recommend a good hosting provider at a reasonable price? Kudos, I appreciate it!”

Response:

You do realize, of course, that you found me on the FREE WordPress.com site?

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Comment:

“Its like you read my thoughts! You seem to understand a lot approximately this, like you wrote the ebook in it or something. I think that you just can do with some p.c. to drive the message hous a little bit, however instead of that, this is fantastic blog. A fantastic read. I will certainly be back.”

Response:

I am reading your thoughts, and they tell me that you will, in fact, be back – probably with the same comment on several other posts, maybe more than once.

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Comment:

“what means lol”

Response:

Leaping Over Lollipops. (You should use it every chance you get.)

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Comment:

“Thank you so much for this! I havent been this moved by a blog for quite some time! Youve got it, whatever that means in blogging. Well, You are definitely someone that has something to say that people should hear. Keep up the good work. Keep on inspiring the people!”

Response:

I so wish this wasn’t a spam comment, but the fact that you attempted to put it on my post about wishing I were somewhere else, while at the same time claiming you were “moved” by that silly post, would seem to indicate that WordPress was right to relegate this comment to the spam folder. Feel free to try again!

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Comment:

“The next time I read a blog, I hope that it doesnt disappoint me as significantly as this 1. I mean, I know it was my option to read, but I really thought youd have something interesting to say. All I hear is often a bunch of whining about some thing that you simply could fix when you werent too busy looking for attention.”

Response:

Puppy Cody

Well, this one just breaks my heart. I am just so sorry that you thought I was whining when I wrote about the excitement of finding my new puppy at the SPCA. The puppy sure was looking for attention, though, which is why I took her home. Maybe you’ll find one of my future posts worthy of your interest; actually, I’m sure you will and that you will have another appropriate comment at that time.

♦♦♦

There are just too many spam comments to include them all. Watch for more CookieCakes snarkiness in August!

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I love to hear from my readers. You may comment on this post, comment on my Facebook page, or email me at cordeliasmom2012@yahoo.com

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Images by: Mykl Reventine, and Dave King, and Mary(n_n)West, and Cordelia’s Mom, respectively