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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
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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.

To the Himalayas and Back — In a Day and Duty Free

May 18, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall Leave a Comment

An array of wood carvings of gods and goddesses including buddha and ganesh on display table at Himalayan Fair Berkeley, May 2014. Photo by BF Newhall

Bay Area residents — it’s not too late to catch this year’s Himalayan Fair at Live Oak Park in Berkeley. Today’s the second and last day of the annual celebration of the cultures of Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan and North India — and a terrific shopping opportunity.

Photo Op: When the Sun Shines Sideways

May 8, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 4 Comments

The shadow of the photographer appears along side the shadows of the grass she is photographing. Photo by BF Newhall

I took a late afternoon camera walk in the woods the other day. The sun had dropped low in the sky, so the light was soft and was coming at everything sideways. Read more.

I Brake for Floor Plans — I Like to See How Those Other People Live

May 1, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 5 Comments

Floor plan of condo on East 86 Street, Manhattan, with three bedrooms and 3.5 baths.

It’s Sunday morning. I pull the New York Times Magazine from the fat stack of newspapers on the breakfast table, fully intending to read the informative, thought-provoking articles inside. But I get no farther than page two, because that’s where the real estate ads are – the ones with the floor plans. Read more.

The Sad State of the Supermarket Strawberry

April 17, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 4 Comments

Large, red strawberries on a blue and white plate. Photo by BF Newhall

I’m worried about the strawberry. It’s too late for the tomato. Its innards were transformed into colorless, flavorless – but easily shippable – pulp decades ago. Which is why I’m concerned about the strawberry. Is it going the way of the tomato? Read more.

The de Young This Week: Bursting With Art — And Flowers

March 20, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 9 Comments

Kaori Imaizumi of Blooming Floral Design, Inc., created a floral design for Henri's "Lady in Black with Spanish Scarf." Photo by BF Newhall

Art. Bouquets. More art. More bouquets. My idea of a good time. I spent the day yesterday at the annual Bouquets to Art show at the de Young Fine Arts Museum in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park — joined by two friends who enjoy flowers and art as much as I do. Read more.

Stalking Superman

February 13, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 12 Comments

Actor Christopher Dennis on curb of Hollywood Boulevard dressed as Superman. Photo by BF Newhall

There he was. In the flesh. Tall and slender and muscled and oh-so-handsome. Sigh. It was Superman. The Man of Steel of my girlhood fantasies. My dream man. Read more.

SXSW: The Funky Charms of East Austin, Texas

January 16, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 12 Comments

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.

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LET’S CONNECT

ON THE FUNNY SIDE

Twenty Seconds: What’s Good for the Hands Is Good for the Potatoes. Right? Sheltering at Home Week 3

washing-potatoes-for-twenty-seconds

COVID-19 is out there. It could get me, which is why I’m doing a lot of weird stuff lately. Like soaping down the potatoes. For twenty seconds, of course. Read more.

MORE "ON THE FUNNY SIDE"

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  • A Case of the Human Condition
  • My Ever-Changing Family
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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!

4-year-old-girl

Old and Getting Older — The Octogenarian and the Four-Year-Old

japanese-anemone-close-up

My Front Yard — It’s a Happening Place

Sales clerk at Best Buy store climbs ladder to pull down a new Toshiba laptop for a customer. Photo by BF Newhall

My Computer is Dead, Long Live My Omputer

A christmas tree with lights, decorations and gifts piled up below. Photo by BF Newhall

It’s August, But It’s Not Too Soon to Wonder — Can Christmas Be Christmas Without the Kids?

MORE DON'T MISS!

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