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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: I’m Planting a Secret Garden Outside My Office

October 9, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

secret-garden-space

My husband is gone, but I’m hoping that planting a secret garden outside my door will give me living things to keep me company as I work.  Read more.

Widowed: Do I Stay or Do I Move?

October 2, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

widowed do I stay or do I move and how about these stairs-for-seniors

Have I turned into one of those stubborn old women who refuses to leave her house?  Read more.

Widowed: We Buried My Husband Last Week

September 25, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

we-buried-my-husband

I worried that I would let Jon down. I worried that this last thing I could do for him would fall short and I would fail him.  Read more.

How to Grieve — A Message From My Mother-in-Law

September 11, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

how to grieve 1940s-children

How to grieve? I don’t know. I’m not ready to give up being broken-hearted, outraged, horrified at the sudden death of my husband.  Read more.

Two Big Things to Do Before You Die (Your Dear Ones Will Thank You)

September 4, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

things to do before you die 1951-birthday-party

As I see it, there are two big, big things to do before you die. Take photos of yourself, lots of them. And write your own obituary. Read more.

Widowed: Dancing Makes Me Cry.

August 28, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

dancing makes me cry outdoor-dancing-studio

Dancing makes me cry. When I joined a Zumba class the other day, I stayed at the back of the class, because I knew there would be tears.  Read more.

Yay! Our Garden Remodel Is Done. Come Take a Walk

August 7, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

garden remodel with atlas-brick-stairs

Our garden remodel is done at last. Three plus flights of stairs take you from the canyon below our house to the street above. Come climb the stairs with me. Read more.

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LET’S CONNECT

ON THE FUNNY SIDE

The Somethingists — They Don’t Believe in God, but They Do Believe in . . . Something

[caption id="attachment_1163" align="aligncenter" width="427"]The Helix Nebula. NASA Photo. The Helix Nebula. NASA Photo.[/caption]

Good news for those of us – count me in – who aren’t at all sure of what God is like. It’s called Somethingism. 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!

man-on-recumbent-bike

Talk to My Deceased Husband? I Can’t Do It

Wanxin-Zhang's-Inauguration-Day-2009-large-ceramic statue. Photo by BF Newhall

Amazing Clay — More Wonderful Stuff from the Berkeley Art Center Show

Barbara-falconer-newhall-with-fluffy-hair-2

Quarantine Hair: I’ve Got Curls All Over My Head. How Did That Happen? Sheltering at Home Week 22

Lisbon-cathedral-crucified-christ

A Meditation for Holy Week: An Afterlife Where Time Does Not Exist?

MORE DON'T MISS!

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