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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

The Writing Room: Splitting the Infinitive — How to Boldy Go There

“To boldly go where no man has gone before.” Nitpickers and pedants take exception to that stirring old Star Trek slogan. I don’t.

MORE "ON THE FUNNY SIDE"

CATEGORIES

  • A Case of the Human Condition
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  • 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!

A green freeway sign on California's Interstate 5 South indicating Los Angeles. Photo by BF Newhall

Los Angeles — The Good, the Bad and the Truly Ugly

On April 4, 2016, former employees of the Oakland, California, Tribune, had a wake in honor of the paper's last day of publication. Photos by Barbara Newhall

Oakland Tribune: The Trib Is Dead, Long Live the Tribbers

A lively 7-year-old boy who has climbed up in an oak tree. Photo by Barbara Newhall

Our No TV Week — The Kids Survived, but Did I?

An exotic orange blossom from Bloomster's floral designer Kren P. Rasmussen. Photo by BF Newhall

I Can’t Take My Eyes Off Those Flowers — From the Mighty Rose to the Humble Daisy

MORE DON'T MISS!

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