I’m 78 and I still have a lot of living to do. But I’m feeling marginalized by the coronavirus deciders — corporate leaders, power brokers, TV pundits. Read more.
A Case of the Human Condition
I’m Barbara Falconer Newhall and I’ve got an incurable Case of the Human Condition. And since you do too, I’m counting on you to laugh and cry along with me as I riff on life as we know it . . . Below you'll read about my creaky, old fifties house, my forays into home gardening, my shopping stories, my spectacularly low-fashion wardrobe -- and more.
Hallelujah! Our Porta-Potty Is Back. Construction Work Resumes. Sheltering at Home Week 8
Work on our remodel has been suspended for weeks. So, as construction work resumes, a porta-potty out front is a sight for sore eyes. Read more.
I Let the Maytag Man Into the House. And I Here’s What I Learned About Human Nature. Sheltering at Home Week 7
Plumber, handyman, Maytag Man, flood abatement guy. Four service people came into our house this week, bringing help and simple human kindness. Read more.
Dead Washing Machine. Leaky Water Heater. Do I Let a Plumber Into the House? Sheltering at Home Week 6
Two major appliances have bit the dust at our house. How many people will be coming into our house to repair them? Will the coronavirus come with them? Read more.
Post-Coronavirus, What Will Happen to All That Hugging We’ve Been Doing? Sheltering at Home Week 6
Personally, I like a little time to pass, and an actual friendship to evolve, before I do any serious hugging with somebody. Read more.
I Miss My Friends. But I Miss My Acquaintances More — Sheltering at Home Week 5
I miss my acquaintances. I miss the shopkeepers, the women in my Zumba class, the friends of friends, all the people who know me, but don’t know my name. Read more.
Death, Taxes, the Constitution. The IRS Has Granted a Reprieve. Will the Grim Reaper? Sheltering in Place Week 5
Death, taxes, the constitution. One has been postponed to July. Death is closer than ever. But what about the permanence of Ben Franklin’s constitution? Read more.