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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
  • WRITING & READING
  • MY ROCKY SPIRITUAL JOURNEY
  • WIDOWED
  • FUNNY BUTTON

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.

My Nasty New Hair Stylist Has Given Me a Cool New Look. Sheltering at Home Week 15

June 27, 2020 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

my nasty new hair stylist COVID-19-hairdo

My hair is getting really long, 4-plus inches, and kinda loose and sexy, thanks to my nasty new hair stylist, COVID-19. Am I done with the Judy Dench look?  Read more.

The Lights Are On. But the Guests Have Yet to Arrive. Sheltering in (Our Brand New) Place. Week 15

June 23, 2020 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

brand-new-place-crate-and-barrel-pendant-lights

See the renovated details of our brand new place. Lighting. Millwork. Floors. All designed to wecome guests who, sadly, won’t be coming by any time soon.  Read more.

The Lost Art of the Telephone Conversation — Here’s What Happened to It. Sheltering at Home Week 14

June 19, 2020 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

the lost art of the telephone conversation

I know why young people do all that texting. It’s because 21st-century wireless phones make for a lousy telephone conversation, and kids want to — talk. Read more.

Hey, HGTV Fans. Take a Look at Our Remodel — It’s Finally Done. Sheltering in Place Week 14

June 18, 2020 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

remodel-kitchen-wall-like-HGTV

Our kitchen wall is gone, and our new space is beautiful. You won’t see it featured on HGTV. But Jon and I will be seeing it every day from now on. Read more.

Donald Trump’s Photo Op: I’m Glad You Saw It — Here’s Why. Sheltering at Home Week 12

June 4, 2020 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

donald trumps photo op

Donald Trump’s photo op in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church showed you something about my church — the Episcopal Church — that I want you to know. Read more.

Our Remodel Has Kept Us Company — We’ll Miss the Carpenters, the Electricians and the Pile Drivers. Sheltering at Home Week 11

May 28, 2020 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

our remodel has kept us company

With the coronavirus sequestering us at home, our remodel has kept us company. It’s brought living, breathing — masked — people into our house. Read  more.

I’m Bored. No, It’s Worse Than That. I’m Boring. Sheltering at Home Week 10

May 24, 2020 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

I'm boring. But I haven't always been. old-woman-pole-dancing

I’d love to chat with the neighbor I spot on the street. But nothing’s happening in my locked-down life. I’ve got no gossip, no big news. I’m boring. Read more.

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LET’S CONNECT

ON THE FUNNY SIDE

My New Year’s Resolution — Do Less. Not More. Subtract!

rock-path-garden

Now that I’m widowed, my to-do lists are twice as long as they used to be. So I’m turning tradition on its head and making my New Year’s resolution — do less!  Read more.

MORE "ON THE FUNNY SIDE"

CATEGORIES

  • A Case of the Human Condition
  • My Ever-Changing Family
  • On Writing & Reading
  • My Rocky Spiritual Journey

 
Need some levity? Push my Funny Button!

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!

 

DON’T MISS!

Two lepidoptera sucking nectar from a white and yellow pansy in a San Francisco Bay Area garden in May. Photo by BF Newhall

In the Garden: Look What Happened to My Front Yard Over the Weekend

Close up of a blossom of fiireweed on a San Juan Island in Washington. Photo by Barbara Newhall

A Patch of Fireweed in the Northwest — What Color Are Those Blossoms? Do I Need to Know?

A symbol in the lavatory of Shanghai airport indicating a Western-style sit-down toilet. Photo by BF Newhall

Travel Adventures: The Poop on China – And the Pee

rock-path-garden

My New Year’s Resolution — Do Less. Not More. Subtract!

MORE DON'T MISS!

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