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

January 14, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

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

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

May Your Days Be Merry!

December 24, 2022 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

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.

Widowed: I Got Caught in the Act of Crying for My Husband

December 17, 2022 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

empty-home-office

I came home to what I thought was an empty house but, widowed, I got caught in the act of crying for my husband. Noisily.  Read more.

A Widow’s Christmas Card — Where’s Jon When I Need Him Most?

December 10, 2022 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

a-widows-christmas-card

My first widow’s Christmas card — my husband isn’t here to compose the poem and photoshop the card. How do I pull it off without him?  Read more.

Betty Rollin on How to Talk to a Widow

December 3, 2022 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Betty Rollin on what to say to a widow. I say ask her about her new rock-garden-path

Betty Rollin on how to talk to a widow: Betty says don’t assume she’s over it just because a year has gone by. I say, ask me about my garden. Read more.

An Urban Oasis: Keeping It Wild — And Fire Resistant

November 26, 2022 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

trimming-tree-urban-oasis

Beaconsfield Canyon was blighted with trash and invasive species — until its human neighbors took it upon themselves to restore their wild urban oasis.  Read more.

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LET’S CONNECT

ON THE FUNNY SIDE

A Dad, a Mom and an 8-Year-Old With a Bashed Lip

eight-year-old boy smiling up from a swimming pool. photo by bf newhall

At 7 on a Saturday night, eight-year-old Peter came home from the park with a lip the size of a ping-pong ball. He had been hit by a hardball on the fly. I wanted to take him to the ER. Jon said no, it was just a fat lip. Read more.

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!

tubz-tub-showroom

I’m Opting for a No-Bathtub House. Here’s Why

jon krakauer photo

Book Openers: Jon Krakauer — A Macho Writer Who Hooks Me in Every Time

using-the-bathroom-scale

Am I Too Old to Lose That Weight? My Doctor Says I Am

Two lepidoptera sucking nectar from a white and yellow pansy in a San Francisco Bay Area garden in May. Photo by BF Newhall

In the Garden: Look What Happened to My Front Yard Over the Weekend

MORE DON'T MISS!

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