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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

My Ever-Changing Family

Our family shrinks and grows. People die. People get born. People get mad and won't talk to you for a while. Kids grow up and find partners of their own, and pretty soon there are brand-new in-laws. And a grandchild or two.

Kids Leave Home. They Just Do

February 1, 2025 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

kids leave home Scottville-michigan-house

Kids leave home. That’s how it often is in our oversized, mobile nation. We pack up and move across the country with impunity, leaving our families and origins behind.  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?

The Art of Rhetoric — If a Two-Year-Old Can Master It, So Can You

December 28, 2024 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

2-year-old-in-ink-sweater

Even my toddler knew how to ply the art of rhetoric. It’s something we humans use every day, on each other, starting at an early age.  Read more.

When My Mother Was the Grandma

October 19, 2024 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

when my mother was the grandma

My mother was the grandma in the family. She deserved respect from our kids. Not because she’d earned it, but because she was the grandma.  Read more.

For the Kids: An Obstacle Course — Or a Fairy Circle?

August 24, 2024 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

FAIRY CIRCLE terraced-backyard-stairway

I tugged and dragged and rolled the old logs onto the terrace and made them into an obstacle course. Or was it a fairy circle?  Read more.

Help Me Be a Fun Grandma. I Need Ideas for My Babysitting Week

August 3, 2024 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

help me be a fun grandma

I agreed to provide child care for a week this summer. Help me be a fun grandma. Tell me, how do I keep two kids, 8 and 5, entertained?  Read more.

Clarence Thomas, Anita Hill, Jon and Me

May 25, 2024 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Clarence Thomas, Anita Hill, Jon and me.

Clarence Thomas, Anita Hill, Jon and me — contemplating the perils and pleasures of office romance in the era of #metoo.  Read more.

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LET’S CONNECT

ON THE FUNNY SIDE

“Listen to Your Mother” — Moms Across the Country Get the Mic for Mother’s Day

Nancy Davis Kho read from her story published in "Listen to Your Mother" (Putnam) book reading at A Great Good Place for Books bookstore in Oakland, CA, April 24, 2015. Photo by Barbara Newhall

It was a fun night at A Great Good Place for Books when three funny ladies celebrated “Listen to Your Mother” an Erma Bombeck style collection of mom stories. 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!

Sumbul Ali-Karamali, author of "The Muslim Next Door" Cover of her book.

A Chance to Get Acquainted With That Muslim Next Door

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Widowed: Caught in the Time Warp of Grief

American flag flies next to a Michigan State University Trojans banner. Lots of Michigan State fans in Pentwater. Photo by Barbara Newhall

Guest Post From Jon: Does “Under God” Belong in the Pledge of Allegiance?

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May Your Days Be Merry!

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