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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

Widowed

Jon died unexpectedly at the age of 79. I thought we'd have many more years together. We won't.

What Do You Say When Someone Dies?

November 6, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

condolence-cards

What do you say when someone dies? How to console a friend? There’s not much you can say do do — except to just be there.  Read more.

Halloween — A Day for the Dead

October 30, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Halloween-a-day-for-the-dead scary-mask

In the spirit of Día de Muertos, I’m making this Halloween a day for the dead: I’m publishing a story or two told about Jon at his interment.  Read more.

Widowed: Who Will Look After Me Now That Jon Is Gone?

October 23, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Farmers-market

Jon was the one I could count on for rides to car repair shops and colonoscopies. Who will look after me now?  Read more.

Widowed: ‘What Is Grief, If Not Love Persevering?’

October 16, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

jon-newhall-on-his-deck

“What is grief, if not love persevering?” — that’s from the TV miniseries “WandaVision.” A nice thought. But I’m not there yet.  Read more.

Widowed: I’m Planting a Secret Garden Outside My Office

October 9, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

secret-garden-space

My husband is gone, but I’m hoping that planting a secret garden outside my door will give me living things to keep me company as I work.  Read more.

Widowed: Do I Stay or Do I Move?

October 2, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

widowed do I stay or do I move and how about these stairs-for-seniors

Have I turned into one of those stubborn old women who refuses to leave her house?  Read more.

Widowed: We Buried My Husband Last Week

September 25, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

we-buried-my-husband

I worried that I would let Jon down. I worried that this last thing I could do for him would fall short and I would fail him.  Read more.

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LET’S CONNECT

ON THE FUNNY SIDE

When a Grown Daughter Doesn’t Call — Or, How to Overmother a Twenty-Something

Christina Newhall with cell phone. Photo by BF Newhall

Christina hadn’t called. We had dropped her at the airport hours ago. The flight to Burbank takes only seventy minutes. She should be home by now. But Jon and I still hadn’t gotten the, “I’m home. The plane didn’t crash. My roommate remembered to pick me up, and we didn’t get mugged in the garage,” phone call. Read more.

MORE "ON THE FUNNY SIDE"

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  • 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!

An August sunset over Lake Michigan from a beach near Pentwater, MI. Photo by BF Newhall

On the Shores of Lake Michigan — Eagle Top, a Wild Place Tamed

white blossoms of flowering tree up close

Beauty Is in the Eye of the Beholder – But What If There’s No Beholder?

Christmas is big, and so is this store window Santa. Photo by Barbara Newhall

Christmas Is Big. Bigger Than Christianity — And Donald Trump

using-the-bathroom-scale

Am I Too Old to Lose That Weight? My Doctor Says I Am

MORE DON'T MISS!

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