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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."

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.

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

June 24, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

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.

Father’s Day vs. Mother’s Day — And Today’s Liberated Dads

June 17, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

young-father-with -newborn

Father’s Day vs. Mother’s Day? With today’s young men doing more and more of the parenting, why not celebrate fathers as heartily as we do mothers?  Read more.

Tint My Eyebrows? It’s an Existential Question

June 10, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

fading-eyebrows-aging

It’s an existential question I’ve been asking myself lately: do I go gentle into that good night — or do I tint my eyebrows?  Read more.

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LET’S CONNECT

ON THE FUNNY SIDE

The Bride Said Yes to the Dress . . . The Mother-of-the-Bride Diaries Begin

Seamstress and saleswoman Nordstrom fit a bride with a wedding dress. Yes to the dress. Photo by Barbara Newhall

The woman said yes to The Dress, the one she’ll be wearing on her wedding day. With that, her mother opened a credit card account and placed the order. Read more.

MORE "ON THE FUNNY SIDE"

CATEGORIES

  • A Case of the Human Condition
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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!

Multicolored Tibetan prayer flags strung on a rope fly at the Himalayan Fair Berkelely 2014. Photo by BF Newhall

Why Pray? — Some Thoughts from Karen Armstrong

Willis Tower, Chicago. Photo by Barbara Newhall

Scaling the Mighty Willis Tower — With My Acrophilic Husband

Branches of a monterey pine in California are seen against a blue sky with clouds. Photo by BF Newhall

Photo Op: When the Sun Shines Sideways

little-boys-drawing-of-home

I Like My Past. It’s a Keeper

MORE DON'T MISS!

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