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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: 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.

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

July 22, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

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

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

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

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.

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LET’S CONNECT

ON THE FUNNY SIDE

Our Post-Pandemic Lifestyle: More Cobwebs? Less Time in the Kitchen? Sheltering at Home Week 35

post-pandemic-lifestyle  patio-dining-set

Short and simple meals for guests. Casual grooming. Relaxed housekeeping. Is this the post-pandemic lifestyle that awaits us? I hope so.  Read more.

MORE "ON THE FUNNY SIDE"

CATEGORIES

  • A Case of the Human Condition
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  • On Writing & Reading
  • 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!

My grandfather David Falconer in 1893. Photo by Ludington Studios

A Case of the Human Condition: Am I Scotch?* Or Midwestern?

madrone-sapling-in-cage

Widowed: Jon’s Memorial Tree Is Thriving — Both of Them

Perdita by Frederick Sandys is on the cover of Patricia Monaghan's Encyclopedia of Goddesses and Heroines, 2014.

A Thousand Goddesses–Some Nice, Some Not So Nice–Take Your Pick

Barbara Falconer Newhall wearing her vintage Austrian Walkjanker wool jacket from Salzburg. Photo by Jon Newhall

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

MORE DON'T MISS!

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