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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 and Lonely

April 1, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

widowed and lonely john-singer-sargent-la-carmencita

I want friends and family to think I’m doing just fine, even though I’m not. The truth is, I’m widowed and lonely.  Don’t miss.

What to Say to a Widow

March 18, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

What to say to a widow twin-baby-boys

What to say to a widow? Here’s a tip: If the widow in question is me — tell me a true story about my husband.  Read more.

Old and Getting Older — The Octogenarian and the Four-Year-Old

March 11, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

4-year-old-girl is old and getting older

Some old people, including me, are a lot like little kids. We like to brag about how old we are. Read more.

People Don’t Die Anymore — They Pass

March 3, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

people don't die anymore they pass. this grandfather died a few years after helping his grandchild with her shoes

People don’t die anymore — they “pass.” Otherwise sophisticated, hard-headed people are resorting to euphemisms when the subject is death.  Read more.

I’ve Been Widowed Two Years. Now What?

February 25, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

widowed two years Jonathan-Newhall-gravestone-california

I’ve been widowed two years. What’s next? Anything? My future feels as blank and inscrutable as it did those first months after Jon’s death.  Read more.

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

February 11, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

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.

What to Do With My Late Husband’s Winter Coat?

January 28, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

my late husband's coat, man's-puffy-jacket

I wanted to keep my late husband’s winter coat. It let me feel close to him. But the weather was turning cold. Someone needed that coat.  Read more.

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LET’S CONNECT

ON THE FUNNY SIDE

Weight Lifting Can Kill You — Shall I Email the News to My Weight-Lifting Son?

Peter Newhall, a young man in his 30s, bench presses at a gym. Photo by Barbara Newhall

Weight lifting can kill you. Death by dead lift and dumbbell can sneak up on you long after you’ve put the weights back in the squat rack. Read more.

MORE "ON THE FUNNY SIDE"

CATEGORIES

  • A Case of the Human Condition
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  • 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!

Slashing government regulations. A crime? The scene of the Oakland Ghost Ship fire that killed 36 cordoned off as a "crime scene." Photo by Barbara Newhall

Gun Safety — I’m Giving Up on the Cause. Here’s Why

baby-shoes-hidden-in-a-wall

What to Do With Those Battered Old Baby Shoes? Hide Them in a Wall, of Course

Flow Poppies in my California garden. Photo by BF Newhall

It’s Spring in Our Brilliant, Bursting, Buzzing Front Yard

jon-barbara-newhall-wedding

Widowed: We Were Two People — And a Marriage

MORE DON'T MISS!

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