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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."

Widowed: Where’s My Lead Pony?

September 9, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

antler-bar

A lead pony is the seasoned horse who escorts a anxious racehorse to the gate, exerting a calming presence. I’m widowed. Where’s my lead pony?  Read more.

Widowed: Yes, It Does Get Easier, Sad to Say

September 2, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

widowed-yes-it-gets-easier-sad-to-say jon-newhall-1997

Does life ever get easier for the widowed? Yes, it does, sad to say. For some, the fading of that intense grief feels like yet another loss.  Read more.

I’m a Widow. Was This Guy Asking Me for a Date?

August 26, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

 I'm-a-widow-was-this-guy-asking-me-for-a-date winding-sidewalk

It was just a friendly chat with a stranger out walking his dog. But then I thought, “I’m a widow. Was this guy asking me for a date?”  Read more.

The Question of Flowers: Are They — Are We — Works of Art?

August 19, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

are-we-works-of-art westcountry-towering-inferno-lupine

Flowers, by their very nature, never seem troubled to me, or even ruffled. Area they — are we — works of art?  Read more.

Widowed: The Superman at My House

August 12, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

the superman at my house Actor-christopher-dennis-superman

The Superman we spotted on Hollywood Boulevard was gorgeous. But Jon, my husband, was the man for me. He was the Superman at my house.  Read more.

I Said Hello to My Deceased Husband — Finally

August 5, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

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

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.

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LET’S CONNECT

ON THE FUNNY SIDE

Real Snow in Minnesota . . . and Real Warm in My Real Austrian Walkjanker

Snowplow clearing snow in a snowstorm in Eden Prairie, MN. Photo 2013 by BF Newhall

 

My authentic Austrian Walkjanker jacket has hung forlornly at the far end of a plastic garment bag for decades. It had no place to go till my son got engaged to a Minnesota girl — and I had a chance to show it a good time on a snowy weekend in Minneapolis.

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!

violet pansy blossom with green edges. Purple Rain. Photo by Barbara Newhall

My Purple Rain Garden: Is the Universe Trying to Tell Me Something?

An austere floral design of calas and leaves reflects Robert Motherwell's painting, "At five in the Afternoon, 1950," at the Bouquets to Art show at the de Young. Photo by BF Newhall

The de Young This Week: Bursting With Art — And Flowers

adoptive-family

A Baby to Adopt — The Letter That Made It Happen Forty Years Ago

Family photos in frames on bedroom dresser. Photo by BF Newhall

Feng Shui Tip for the Writing Room and the Bedroom — Your Mother’s Not Allowed, and Neither Are the Kids

MORE DON'T MISS!

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