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About Barbara
I’m Barbara Falconer Newhall and I’ve got a serious case of the human condition.
I’ve done it all: career, family, house, garden, and a prize-winning book, "Wrestling with God." The result: I'm a woman of years, lots of them, who can't help seeing things from the funny side.
Tucked away on this website are hundreds of riffs on life. I hope you’ll seek them out – and keep me company as I discover the humor, if not the meaning, in what life throws my way. Learn More
THE LATEST
What to Do With Those Battered Old Baby Shoes? Hide Them in a Wall, of Course
Those battered old baby shoes? Hide them in a wall. It’s centuries old tradition that lets you declutter without giving up your dear old stuff. Read more.
BARBARA’S BOOK
★ Publishers Weekly, starred review
Any seeker of any faith will be blessed to read the words of this fine author and observer. Read more.
An inveterate doubter for most of her adult life, journalist Barbara Falconer Newhall embarks upon a quest to find a way to believe in God in the twenty-first century.
The result is Wrestling with God: Stories of Doubt and Faith, which details her search for the Divine in the lives of diverse Americans – from a fundamentalist Christian to a progressive Muslim to a Buddhist monk.Seekers of all persuasions will feel represented here, from priests, ministers, and rabbis to engineers, physicists, and avowed non-believers . . . a riverflow of a book. — Phil Cousineau, host of PBS’s Global Spirit
Recent Riffs on Life
When the Rough-In Plumbing and Electrical Are Things of Beauty
The hidden secret behind the sheetrock in my bathroom — the rough-in plumbing and rough-in electrical are things of beauty. Read more.
My Porta-Potty Has Finally Arrived! And Coming Soon — A Bath Remodel
My Porta-potty has arrived. Finally. Coming soon, a brand-new bathroom with a huge stall shower, comfy bench and lots of grab bars. Read more.
DON’T MISS!
My IPPY Gold Book Award — Celebrating High Above Chicago
I went to Chicago to collect an IPPY gold book award for “Wrestling with God” — and celebrate with other winning authors. Read more.
The Question of Flowers: Are They — Are We — Works of Art?
Flowers, by their very nature, never seem troubled to me, or even ruffled. Area they — are we — works of art? Read more.
A Widow’s Christmas Card — Where’s Jon When I Need Him Most?
My first widow’s Christmas card — my husband isn’t here to compose the poem and photoshop the card. How do I pull it off without him? Read more.