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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."

My Husband’s Name or Mine? I Need Them Both

February 18, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 2 Comments

my husband's name or mine? my maiden name has its stories, including a 1960s-girl-swimmer

My husband’s name or mine? I need them both — the name I was born with and the one I took the day I married.  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 8 Comments

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 8 Comments

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.

The Little Tug That Could — Cross an Ocean. Scott Newhall and the Eppleton Hall

January 21, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 6 Comments

scott-newhall-eppleton-hall-captain

Scott Newhall and the Eppleton Hall: A doughty San Francisco crew sails an English paddlewheel across the Atlantic and on to California.  Read more.

My New Year’s Resolution — Do Less. Not More. Subtract!

January 14, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 10 Comments

rock-path-garden

Now that I’m widowed, my to-do lists are twice as long as they used to be. So I’m turning tradition on its head and making my New Year’s resolution — do less!  Read more.

Widowed: Caught in the Time Warp of Grief

January 7, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 4 Comments

giants-cap-thriller-fest-cap putting me in a time warp

May Your Days Be Merry!

December 24, 2022 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 8 Comments

may-your-days-be-merry

On my Christmas card this year, “May your days be merry,” is code for — may your days be filled with hope and faith.  Read more.

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LET’S CONNECT

ON THE FUNNY SIDE

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

baby-shoes-hidden-in-a-wall

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.

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!

Mark-myer-painting-eppleton-hall

The Little Tug That Could — Cross an Ocean. Scott Newhall and the Eppleton Hall

Displayed at the East Bay Heritage Quilters show "Voices in Cloth 2016" quilt show in Richmond, CA.. a detail of "Hopscotch," by Susan Fuller. Photo by Barbara Newhall.

East Bay Heritage Quilters — Quilts, Dazzling Quilts

telephone-wires

The Lost Art of the Telephone Conversation — Here’s What Happened to It. Sheltering at Home Week 14

Baby-boy-Peter-Newhall-with-dads-hands-holding-him. Photo by BF Newhall

Why Can’t a Dad Be More Like a Mom? . . . Do We Really Want Them To Be?

MORE DON'T MISS!

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