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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.

I Was Young and Single for Way Too Long — Why?

May 17, 2025 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

I-was-young-and-single-for-way-too-long-why? have-him-at-hello-sticker-greenwald

I was young and single for way too long. Why? Could a book I spotted at an airport bookstore finally give me some answers?  Read more.

Forget Those Charming Little Forget-Me-Nots. They’re Not as Innocent as They Seem

April 12, 2025 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

forget-those-charming-little-forget-me-nots

Forget those charming little forget-me-nots. They’re not as guileless as they look. They have an agenda.  Read more.

I Confess. In 2020, I Washed the Potatoes. With Soap

April 5, 2025 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

sanitizing-mail-during-pandemic

It was April, 2020. The pandemic was underway and you couldn’t be too careful about what you let into your house, including your groceries. Which is why I washed the potatoes, with soap.  Read more.

When the Rough-In Plumbing and Electrical Are Things of Beauty

March 22, 2025 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

When the Rough-In Plumbing and Electrical Are Things of Beauty copper-pipes-new-bath

The hidden secret behind the sheetrock in my bathroom — the rough-in plumbing and rough-in electrical are things of beauty.  Read more.

My Porta-Potty Has Finally Arrived! And Coming Soon — A Bath Remodel

March 15, 2025 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

My porta-potty has arrived. Coming soon, my bath remodel.

My Porta-potty has arrived. Finally. Coming soon, a brand-new bathroom with a huge stall shower, comfy bench and lots of grab bars.  Read more.

Five Years Ago This Month — Covid Shut Down Our World

March 8, 2025 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

five years ago this month covid

Five years ago this month covid shut down our world. There wasn’t much to do, so I wrote a lot of covid stories, some sad and some, I like to think, amusing.  Read more.

My Son Is in the Hospital With Appendicitis 2,000 Miles Away. How Do I Mother Him From Here?

January 25, 2025 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

my son in hospital with appendicitis 2000 miles away

My son Is in the hospital with appendicitis 2,000 miles away. He’s 28 years old and living on his own. How do I mother him from here?

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LET’S CONNECT

ON THE FUNNY SIDE

Photo Op: Pentwater, Michigan — A Small Town on a Big Lake

North Hancock Street, Pentwater, Michigan, with shops, flags and trees. Photo by BF Newhall

When I was a kid, Pentwater was not the place to be. The place to be was on the beach or in the woods with the wild critters. But now that I am thoroughly grown up, I’m preferring the charms of Pentwater village to the toads and grasshoppers of my 9-year-old self. 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

 
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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!

 

DON’T MISS!

richard rodriguez signs copies of his book "Darling" at Sagrada Sacred Arts, Oakland, CA. Photo by Barbara Newhall

Where Author Richard Rodriguez Sees the Face of God

Silver satin 4 1/2 inch high shoes with clear stone pave straps at Nordstrom $129.95. Photo by BF Newhall.

My Killer Shoes — Brought Down to Size by Those Four-and-a-Half-Inch Heels

Two flowers, one thriving, one not remind me of Ann Patchett and her friend Lucy. Photo by Barbara Newhall

Ann Patchett — My Brand-New Favorite Author

Red, red berries in a garden in autumn in the upper midwest. Photo by Barbara Newhall

Autumn in the Garden, When Sensible Plants Pack It In for the Winter . . . And a Healing Ankle

MORE DON'T MISS!

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