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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 There an Upside to Widowhood? I’m Looking at the Possibilities

January 22, 2022 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Melissa-Orme-painting

Now that Jon is gone, I am keeping an eye out for reasons to like going it alone. I’m wondering, are there any upsides to widowhood?  Read more.

Widowed: Did He Die in Anguish?

January 15, 2022 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

did he die in anguish at alta-bates-summit-medical-center

No, Jon did not suffer. He did not die in anguish. It was over quickly, she said. Before he knew what was happening.  Read more.

Widowed: Advice From Beyond the Grave — Party On!

January 8, 2022 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

wedding-shower-gifts advice from a dead husband

How to mark the anniversary of Jon’s death? A visit to the cemetery seemed in order. Then along came some advice from my dead husband.  Read more.

Wishing You a Hope-y New Year

January 1, 2022 By Barbara Falconer Newhall


hope-y new year times-square-new-years

Hope-y New Year! Here’s to a hope-filled 2022. Not because hope will solve the climate crisis or end the culture wars. But just . . . because.  Read more.

Widowed: Life Goes On — And Some of Us Still Like It

December 18, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

life goes on, as with this crocosmia-sprouting-through-a-deck Like it or not, life goes on. Our 101-year-old family friend had picked up the phone to check on me. If that’s not liking life, what is?   Read more.

Widowed: Or, How to Wrestle a Christmas Tree Into Its Stand Without Calling the Neighbors for Help

December 11, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

watering-the-Christmas-tree

The kids are coming for Christmas. A tree is in order. But how’s an newly minted widow to wrestle a Christmas tree into its stand on her own?  Read more.

Breaking News: The Afterlife Is ‘Fantastic’

December 4, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

the afterlife is fantastic
This just in — the afterlife is “fantastic.” That’s the news from Jon. And he should know, he’s been in the afterlife since February. Read more.
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LET’S CONNECT

ON THE FUNNY SIDE

I’m Getting Ready to Die. Just in Case. Sheltering at Home Week 40

getting-ready-to-die-    Christmas-gifts

The coronavirus is out there. So I’m getting ready to die — starting with making sure my holiday gifts for my husband are wrapped and ready.  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!

Jon Newhall takes a class in Thai cooking in Bangkok and shows off his dish. Photo by Jon Newhall

Confessions of a So-So Wife: The Night I Forgot to Make Dinner

Sam Lamott portrait photo c Talena Smith & Ricci Nazareth-Silva

Sam Lamott Couldn’t Make It, but Anne Arrived With a Bouquet of Bons Mots

winding-sidewalk

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

to-do-list

Widowed: The Meaning of Life? It’s on My To-Do List

MORE DON'T MISS!

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