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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.

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.

How to Grieve — A Message From My Mother-in-Law

September 11, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

how to grieve 1940s-children

How to grieve? I don’t know. I’m not ready to give up being broken-hearted, outraged, horrified at the sudden death of my husband.  Read more.

Two Big Things to Do Before You Die (Your Dear Ones Will Thank You)

September 4, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

things to do before you die 1951-birthday-party

As I see it, there are two big, big things to do before you die. Take photos of yourself, lots of them. And write your own obituary. Read more.

Widowed: Dancing Makes Me Cry.

August 28, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

dancing makes me cry outdoor-dancing-studio

Dancing makes me cry. When I joined a Zumba class the other day, I stayed at the back of the class, because I knew there would be tears.  Read more.

Do We Live in a Pointless Universe? I Need to Know

July 29, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

no-lifeguard-on-duty

The more comprehensible the universe seems, the more it seems a pointless universe, said Nobel laureate physicist, Steven Weinberg. Read more.

When a Widow Laughs. Or, a Backyard Work in Progress

July 24, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

widow laughs during BACKYARD-CONSTRUCTION-MESS

Standing in the mess that is our backyard, talking and laughing with the landscaping crew, I wonder: Is it OK when a widow laughs?  Read more.

Widowed: Her Stolen Car Came Back, but My Husband Didn’t . . . And All Shall Be Well?

July 17, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

my husband's office chair is empty, yet all shall be well

The same death that took Jesus took my husband. Can we say then that all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well?  Read more.

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LET’S CONNECT

ON THE FUNNY SIDE

At Orinda Books: The Author Talked — And So Did the Audience

Author Barbara Falconer Newhall and interviewee Sister Barbara Hazzard gave a book talk at Orinda Books in Orinda, California, May 16, 2015. Photo by Jon Newhall

It was an afternoon of lively interaction between author, audience, and Sister Barbara Hazzard, who read from the story she tells in “Wrestling with God.” 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

 
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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!

The bride was beautiful. A crystal headpiece set off Christina Newhall's short dark hair on her wedding day in May. Photo by Barbara Newhall

They Did It — They Got Married (And the Bride Was Beautiful)

shabby-patio

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

Two deep pink tulips bloom at Mountain View Cemetery, Oakland, CA. Photo by BF Newhall

Tulips and Sex — Writing as If Everyone I Know Were Dead

An older woman tries on dresses for her daughter's wedding day. Photo by Barbara Newhall

Mother-of-the-Bride Dress: What, Oh, What Do I Wear to My Daughter’s Wedding?

MORE DON'T MISS!

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