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

Soft Pretzels and German Brown Mustard

I understand that there are people who cannot imagine putting any kind of mustard on pretzels. I get that. I can’t imagine putting yellow mustard on anything. Pretzels, of course, should be paired with German-style brown mustard. This is no advertisement, but I grew...

A Day Placed in Perspective

There is no question that I am extremely fortunate to have the life I have. I never lose sight of that. I will also observe that even when our challenges are small, they can add up to mental exhaustion. Today was that kind of day. By mid-afternoon I had concluded that...

Feline OCD

One of our cats is just plain crazy (and I mean that in a non-pejorative way). The other has what I can only guess is obsessive-compulsive disorder. For humans, OCD involves focused, persistent thoughts that are brought on by anxiety. The obsessive thoughts tend to...