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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
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Sheltering at Home Chronicles

The coronavirus is having its way -- for now. We are sheltering at home -- ordering food to be delivered and taking careful socially distanced walks in the neighborhood. We worry. We laugh. We worry some more. And, like so many people around the world, we are inventing new ways to order and enjoy our lives.

Is Fluffy the New Black? Is Our Quarantine Hair Trying to Tell Us Something? Sheltering at Home Week 23

August 16, 2020 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Rep.-Katie-Porter. is fluffy the new black?

Is fluffy the new black? Fluffy hair. Fluffy, loose-fitting clothes. Fluffy, loose-fitting life styles. Fluffy boundaries between home and work.  Read more.

Quarantine Hair: I’ve Got Curls All Over My Head. How Did That Happen? Sheltering at Home Week 22

August 15, 2020 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

I've-got-curls Barbara-falconer-newhall-with-fluffy-hair-2

Out of the blue, my hair has begun sprouting Shirley Temple ringlets. I’ve got curls, adorable curls. What the heck? I didn’t know my hair could curl.  Read more.

We’re Putting Our Shabby Old Patio Out of Its Misery — At Last. Sheltering at Home Week 22

August 11, 2020 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

shabby-old-patio

Our shabby old patio was a mess when we first laid eyes on it forty-two years ago. Today, it’s still not a pretty sight. Time for a redo.  Read more.

Petunias! A Shopping Success Story. Sheltering at Home Week 21

August 2, 2020 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

pink-petunia-blossoms

The plant nursery down the hill was open for business. Everybody wore masks. Carts were wiped down with bleach. And there were — petunias! Read more.

World Hunger — Is It Up to Me to Fix It? Sheltering at Home Week 20

July 27, 2020 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

world hunger and food-abundance

The bare dirt spot in my garden is taking up more real estate in my brain than world hunger, homelessness and disruption. Read more.

I Finally Got to Go Shopping. Here’s How That Worked Out. Sheltering at Home Week 19

July 25, 2020 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

near-empty-store-shelf

After months of sheltering at home, I got in my car to do some actual brick-and-mortar shopping. A favorite retailer had other plans for me. Read more.

I’ve Got a Pile of Antique Bricks in My Backyard. And They’re Headed for the Dump. Sheltering at Home Week 18

July 15, 2020 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

antique bricks in a brick-walk-and-terrace

The antique bricks in our garden staircase are pavers. They were made for the streets of San Francisco 100 years ago. Too bad the staircase is falling apart. Read more.

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LET’S CONNECT

ON THE FUNNY SIDE

Travel Adventures: The Poop on China – And the Pee

In Suchow, this little boy was set out on the doorstep of his house to pee, To expedite things, his pants were open at the crotch. I have preserved his dignity by retouching the photo to close up his fly. Photo by BF Newhall

I’ve been contemplating writing this little photo essay on the toilets of China ever since I traveled there last September. It’s taken me all this time to overcome my mid-century Midwestern upbringing, where nice people didn’t talk about poop and pee in public. My nose for news finally prevailed, however when a Mainland Chinese couple allowed their toddler to urinate publicly on the streets of Hong Kong.

MORE "ON THE FUNNY SIDE"

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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!

bride-and-brother

I Miss My Grown-Up Children — More Than I Can Say. Sheltering at Home Week 30

Branches of a monterey pine in California are seen against a blue sky with clouds. Photo by BF Newhall

Photo Op: When the Sun Shines Sideways

jon-Newhall-at-Signal

He’s Not Bald After All. Thank You, Covid-19. Sheltering at Home Week 28

the words Oakland Riviera in bright colors are painted on a wall in Oakland, CA, Jingletown. Photo by BF Newhall

Amazing Places: A Walk Around Oakland’s Jingletown

MORE DON'T MISS!

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