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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’m Thankful for a Window. It’s Small, but It Opens Onto . . . Everything

November 22, 2025 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

I'm Thankful for a Window. It's Small, but It Opens Onto . . . Everything light-from-window

I’m thankful for a window. It’s small but it opens onto everything: a tree. A bird. A squirrel. Not much. But in fact everything.  Read more.

Widowed: My Husband Is the Hero of My Next Book

November 8, 2025 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

widowed My husband is the hero of my next book man-with-toddler-on-shoulers

My husband is the hero of my next book. I wanted it all — family and career. And Jon made it possible. Read more.

Widowed: Do I Still Miss Him?

November 1, 2025 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

widowed do i still miss him cloud-gate-millennium-park

Widowed: Do I still miss him? Not really. Missing Jon is not the shape my grief takes. Most days.  Read more.

I’m a Grammar Geek: I Don’t Get Nauseous. I’ve Never Received a Kudo. And I Never, Ever Lay on My Yoga Mat

October 25, 2025 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

stack-of-yoga-mats

I’m a grammar geek and I’m old: I don’t get nauseous. I’ve never received a kudo. And I never, ever lay on my yoga mat.  Read more.

Instead of My Toys, They Played With Peanut Shells

October 18, 2025 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

they-played-with-peanut-shells/ people-made-of-peanut-shells

Instead of playing with my toys, the visiting grandchildren played with a bag of peanut shells — and made tiny peanut people.  Read more.

It’s True. My New Bathroom Is . . . Beautiful

October 11, 2025 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

It's True. My New Bathroom Is Beautiful pratt-and-larsen-tile-niche

It’s true. My new bathroom is beautiful. I’ve been taking a lot of showers in there lately, so I should know.  Read more.

My Elderly, Old School Blog — It’s Still Going Strong

September 27, 2025 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

my elderly old school blog spam-russian

I started blogging to promote my book back in 2009. Now my elderly, old school blog is spam-riddled and in need of an update.  Read more.

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LET’S CONNECT

ON THE FUNNY SIDE

Cheap Thrills at the Glasmuseum Passau — Outrageous, Over-the-Top Decorative Glass.

Decorative glass circa 1835-1845. Bohemia. Round plate with amber Painted glass with chinoiserie motifs. glasmuseum passau. photo by barbara newhall

Spotted at the labyrinthine Glasmuseum Passau — wonderfully outrageous, phantasmagoric decorative glass. Gotta share it with you. Take a look. Cheap thrills. 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

 
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!

Clip from video of NBC News report on Donald Trump's statement to Chris Matthews that if abortion is made illegal a woman should be punished for having one. NBC News Video

Donald Trump Played Me. Here’s How

A large stainless steel kitchen sink with a woodsy view out the window. Photo by BF Newhall

Five Things I Like Best About My Kitchen

Barbara Falconer Newhall, author of "Wrestling with God: Stories of Doubt and Faith," with her first royalty check in her home office. Photo by Barbara Newhall

My First Royalty Check Has Arrived — How Cool Is That?

grandmother-on-beach

When My Mother Was the Grandma

MORE DON'T MISS!

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