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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

DON'T MISS!

I've written hundreds and hundreds of posts over the years. To help you find your way to the best of the best, I've tagged my favorites "Don't Miss!" Scroll down here to find them.

Another way to locate Riffs on Life that you might enjoy is to click above on your favorite category – "My Ever-Changing Family," perhaps, or "Funny Button." You can also use the search box located way up top to hunt for stories by topic. There's fun reading at "garden," "aging," "kids" and, of course, "Jon."

I Said Hello to My Deceased Husband — Finally

August 5, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 8 Comments

I said hello to my deceased husband -- to a framed-photo-of-a-cook

I said hello to my deceased husband’s photo the other day — and for once I did not collapse into tears at the sight of his face.  Read more.

Barbie — Sex Object or Blank Slate?

July 29, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 2 Comments

barbie-sex-object-or-blank-slate an-8-year-old-girl-living-out-her-fantasies-as-a-swordswoman

Barbie: A sex object? Or a blank slate for girls to project their dreams on? Neither, if your daughter wants a doll who can fight dragons.  Read more.

Is It OK to Kill Stuff? Yes, If It’s a Mosquito or a Eucalyptus Tree

July 22, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 2 Comments

invasive-eucalyptus-in-california

Is it OK to kill stuff? I couldn’t kill the spider lurking in my shower. But I can kill invasive eucalyptus trees and dive-bombing mosquitoes.  Read more.

My Front Yard — It’s a Happening Place

July 15, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 14 Comments

my front yard -- it's a happening place ,with this lush-flower-garden

My front yard — it’s a happening place. Life forms are shooting up all over it, greedily taking up their allotted space in the universe.  Read more.

What Is Beauty? It’s Seeing the World for the First Time — At Abbott’s Lagoon

July 8, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 4 Comments

Abbott's-Lagoon

The exuberant summer foliage we witnessed at Abbott’s Lagoon the other day felt like a gift . . .  from somewhere. A tossed bouquet. Read more.

The Fourth of July — With Liberty and Justice for All

July 1, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 5 Comments

American-flag-detail with liberty and justice for all

Some think flying the American flag is a right-wing thing to do. For me, the flag is a symbol of good old “liberty and justice for all.”  Read more.

Widowed: Shouldn’t I Be Over It by Now?

June 24, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 8 Comments

man-alone-in-lake-michigan

After more than two years of being widowed, shouldn’t I be over it by now? I’m not. The universe has tilted and it has yet to right itself.  Read more.

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ON THE FUNNY SIDE

Widowed: Marriage Mistakes — If I Could Have a Do-Over, Would I?

marriage mistakes widowed a-mans-sock-drawer

Widowed, I think often of my marriage mistakes. Did I leave too many tender words unsaid? Too many small kindnesses undone? Should I have mated his socks for him after I took them out of the dryer?   Read more.

MORE "ON THE FUNNY SIDE"

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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!

cabin-fever-at-home

Oh-Oh. Is Cabin Fever Setting In? — Sheltering at Home Day 6

garden-before-remodel

An Unruly Garden Tamed at Last

man-hangs-quilt

Widowed: As He Lay Dying

My computer monitor in action. Photo by Bf Newhall

The Writing Room: My Book’s Almost Done, Sorta

MORE DON'T MISS!

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