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Barbara Falconer Newhall

Veteran journalist Barbara Falconer Newhall riffs on life as she knows it.

  • A CASE OF THE HUMAN CONDITION
  • MY EVER-CHANGING FAMILY
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Barbara’s Riffs on Life

SXSW: The Funky Charms of East Austin, Texas

January 16, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

colorful mural decorates the front of a store in Austin TX selling books, T-shirts and CDs. And tattoos. Photo by BF Newhall

Deep in the heart of Texas is a neighborhood that has everything it takes to be a first-rate hipster haven — street art, food trucks, farmers markets, coffee shops, parks, affordable (so far) housing, artists’ studios, walkability — and, most important, a carefree, offbeat vibe. Read more.

Christmas in Mexico — It’s All About the Baby Jesus

January 1, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

posada procession christmas eve 2013 san miguel de allende. photo by bf newhall

 

If it’s the Baby Jesus you’re looking for on Christmas Eve, the colonial town of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, is the place to be. Read more.

A Festive Christmas in San Miguel de Allende

December 26, 2013 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Santa was nowhere to be seen in the days leading up to Christmas in San Miguel de Allende.

We’re Having a — Merry — Christmas Without the Kids This Year

December 25, 2013 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

A young woman carves the Thanksgiving turkey in the kitchen. Photo by BF Newhall

Christmas has gotten to be a scheduling nightmare in our family. Peter lives in Minnesota. Christina lives in Southern California. Jon and I live in Northern California. That puts 400 miles between us and our daughter and 1600 miles between us and our son and daughter-in-law. Not exactly over the river and through the woods. Read more.

Winter Solstice — My Mother’s Last Words to Me Before She Died

December 19, 2013 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

tinka falconer at Lake Michigan

My mother’s last words to me were nothing much. No parting words of love. No heartfelt messages to the grandchildren. Read more.

For China’s Young Fashionistas the Cultural Revolution Is So Over

December 13, 2013 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Two teenaged Chinese girls getting their picture taken in Beijing. One has dyed her hair orange.

Until very recently, when I thought of China, I didn’t think of fun. I thought of the Cultural Revolution of the ’60s and ’70s, when traditional Chinese men were forced to cut off their queues, and intellectuals were banished to the countryside to till the soil and be reeducated into the proletariat.

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LET’S CONNECT

ON THE FUNNY SIDE

Is That a Fibonacci Blooming in Our Yard?

Purple columbine blossoms in our rock garden in spring. A fibonacci number expressed. Photo by Barbara Newhall

Is ours a strictly mathematical universe? Are those columbines blossoming in our garden just a string of fibonacci numbers? Read more.

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TO MY READERS

Please feel free to share links to my posts with one and all and to quote briefly from them in your own writing, remembering, of course, to attribute the quote to me and to provide a link back to this site.

My Oakland Tribune columns, btw, are reprinted by permission of the Trib. With the exception of review copies of books, I do not accept ads or freebies of any kind. Click on the "Contact" button if you have questions. Enjoy!

 

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