author

Patricia Collins

for people who love to read

Welcome!

I hope you will enjoy reading some of the essays, stories, and blog posts for this website and will return periodically to read what’s new. I love to write and to share what I’ve learned and reflected on—whether the inspiring events took place this past week or decades ago. My interests are quite varied, and so are the topics for what appears on this site. What is consistent is that these are reflections that offer my perspective, most often a positive way of looking at what’s happened and what that’s meant to me.

Essays & Stories

Memories

mini-memoir pieces
from a rewarding personal life

PHOTO CREDIT: CARLOS PEREYRA

Been There, Done That, Learned a Thing or Two

lessons learned, knowledge and skills
tested again and again

Desultory Reflections & Philosophical Thoughts

observations on culture, ethics, and
contemporary conditions

PHOTO CREDIT: Distinctively Dickinson

Literature Reviews

formal and informal critiques of
works in contemporary literature

fiction

short stories and flash fiction
inspired by others’ lives

Books:

upcoming and available book-length works

E-Books

downloadable cuisine travelogues

Print Books

young children’s literature

Blog

Samhain

Daylight hours are becoming shorter. Autumn harvesting is done. It is a time to celebrate the season’s harvest and to transition into those darker days. You are part of the Celtic spiritual tradition of Samhain (a Gaelic word, pronounced SAH-win or SOW-in). It is time...

A Word on World Letter Writing Day

September 1st is World Letter Writing Day—established more than a decade after the world switched to using thumbs on tiny touchscreens to correspond in a new language called texting. On the WLWD website, the Day’s founder, Richard Simpkin of Australia, shares his...

The First Day of School

I grew up in a family of modest means. We were not poor, but my parents had to be very careful with our budget. Prioritized expenditures included a home in good repair, healthy food, and clothing that would last. Among the things that were free, education was the most...