Barbara’s Riffs on Life

The Trouble With Poinsettias

The trouble with poinsettias is — they don’t know that Christmas is over and it’s time to make an exit. Read more.

I said hello to Jon and his family, and then there was nothing more to do in this graveyard. Read more.

Facelifts that leave your cheeks looking like you’re facing into 100-mph headwinds are not for me. Or are they? Read more.

Two big changes for my — 2009! — website: a major redesign and a more spacious writing schedule for me. Read more.

Finding hope for our time: Charles Jennens’ libretto for Handel’s “Messiah” was a response to his time — and ours. Read more.

The top religion stories of 2025 from the Religion News Association reflect a world of turmoil — and hope. Read more.