A place for my thoughts

Brandi Easterling Collins, independent author

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  • Snoopy thinking he has a pretty good life.
    Essays,  General Thoughts

    A Lesson in Gratitude

    February 25, 2024 /

    There’s always something to be grateful for, even in the darkest of times. One of my goals for 2024 (and beyond) is to maintain an attitude of gratitude no matter what life throws at me. Life’s thrown a lot at me lately, especially with property insurance woes, which I will write about as soon as the situation is resolved. What’s kept me sane is my therapist’s advice to focus on gratitude to drown out the bad thoughts. Sometimes it feels easier to complain In the daily grind, it’s easy to focus on the negative. Maybe you overslept, the kids are cranky, or your dog puked on the rug. There’s always…

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    Traveling, publishing, and writing

    November 5, 2016

    I’m a liar

    December 27, 2016

    Quitting: Is it failure?

    October 20, 2017
  • Green piggy bank
    Essays,  General Thoughts

    Finances and Frugality in a World Where Everything Costs a Freakin’ Fortune

    January 30, 2024 /

    Let’s talk about some F-words (no, not that F-word). Let’s discuss finances, fortune, and frugality. I’m not a financial advisor, but I wanted to share some thoughts about money and some practices that have worked for my family. Finances Money. We need it to live, but everyone makes different amounts of it. And we all have different financial situations, systems, and priorities. Some of us budget every penny and others are comfortably wealthy or don’t care to keep track of spending. Some people spend, and some people save. Some are good at both. Then there’s debt, and credit scores, and debt-to-income ratios. What’s good debt vs. bad debt? Do you…

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    Rejection

    November 4, 2017
    Illustration of older lady waving.

    I’ve been old (but not necessarily wise) my whole life

    June 18, 2024
    Young family watching television.

    The importance of traditions

    March 27, 2023
  • General Thoughts,  Pop Culture

    2023 in book reviews

    December 31, 2023 /

    I read 102 books in 2023 and published my 5th novel, When Does Life Begin?, on September 23. Here are my top 10 best reads in traditionally published novels. Top 10 best reads for 2023 (traditional) These are in order starting from favorite read of the year. Shutter by Ramona Emerson. I got to meet Ramona and have her autograph a copy of the novel during a reading at Arkansas Tech University. The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger The Long March Home: A World War II Novel of the Pacific by Marcus Brotherton and Tosca Lee. I met Tosca when she and I participated in a Brenda Novak…

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    Designed by brgfx / Freepik

    The World Spins Madly On: More Updates During These Chaotic Times

    May 14, 2020

    Caroline’s Lighthouse Update and Free Preview

    October 14, 2016

    New year, new look, exciting news!

    January 13, 2018
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Recent Posts

  • A Family Road Trip: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
  • Summer 2025 Writing Update and Sixth Novel First Chapter Teaser
  • Can High Goals Get in the Way of Contentment?
  • How Many Times Can You Start Over?
  • 2024 in Book Reviews

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