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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
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My Rocky Spiritual Journey

You don't have to be a big believer to find something interesting to read here . . . You'll find excerpts from the spiritual journeys of people I've met on the religion beat as well as reports of my own fraught encounters with religion and spirituality . . . as well as updates on my book, "Wrestling with God: Stories of Doubt and Faith," from Patheos Press.

Widowed: John Donne, Meet Leonard Cohen — And Send Us a Song, Please, From the Mystery Beyond

February 11, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 8 Comments

leonard-cohen-documentary

I’ve spent evenings with songwriter Leonard Cohen and gone to bed with poet John Donne. I want to say, ‘John Donne, meet Leonard Cohen.’ Read more.

May Your Days Be Merry!

December 24, 2022 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 8 Comments

may-your-days-be-merry

On my Christmas card this year, “May your days be merry,” is code for — may your days be filled with hope and faith.  Read more.

Widowed: I Got Caught in the Act of Crying for My Husband

December 17, 2022 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 8 Comments

empty-home-office

I came home to what I thought was an empty house but, widowed, I got caught in the act of crying for my husband. Noisily.  Read more.

Widowed: ‘Let Us Tend Our Garden’

November 12, 2022 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 4 Comments

let-us-tend-our-garden pussy-paws-plant-california

Translating Voltaire for my backyard: “We must cultivate our garden,” feels bossy and rife with certitude. I prefer, “Let us tend our garden.”  Read more.

How to Describe My Late Husband? I Can’t Find the Words

October 29, 2022 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 6 Comments

2017-eclipse-of-the-sun

How to describe my late husband? I can tell the Jon stories, but when it comes to evoking the singularity that was Jon, words fail. Read more.

I’m Thanking People a Lot These Days. Why Is That?

October 15, 2022 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 6 Comments

thanking people, including the man-power-washing-deck

I notice that I’ve been thanking people a lot lately. People — not God, not the Universe, not “the force that through the green fuse drives the flower.”  Read more. 

My Deceased Husband’s Laptop — I Fixed It Myself!

September 24, 2022 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 4 Comments

my deceased husband's laptop

My deceased husband’s laptop had become my favorite, fun laptop in the months following his death. But now I couldn’t open it. Read more.

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LET’S CONNECT

ON THE FUNNY SIDE

Gray Hairs. Wrinkles. And Kids Who Won’t Stop Growing Up

Christina, Jon and Peter. Their mother had gray hairs, bu the kids were still small enough to cuddle. Photo by Barbara Newhall

Peter’s in fourth grade now. My third grade boy is gone. Christina has grown an inch since Easter. My size 6 girl is gone.  Read more.

MORE "ON THE FUNNY SIDE"

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  • A Case of the Human Condition
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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!

westcountry-towering-inferno-lupine

The Question of Flowers: Are They — Are We — Works of Art?

Maroon snapdragons growing in a garden. Photo by BF Newhall

A Case of the Human Condition: I Want to Kill My Snapdragons

feet-in-a-stream

Have Americans Forgotten That Humility is a Virtue?

communityi-of-writers-2022

A Week With Fellow Writers — Surprising Me With Gifts

MORE DON'T MISS!

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