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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."

When a Widow Laughs. Or, a Backyard Work in Progress

July 24, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

widow laughs during BACKYARD-CONSTRUCTION-MESS

Standing in the mess that is our backyard, talking and laughing with the landscaping crew, I wonder: Is it OK when a widow laughs?  Read more.

Widowed: Her Stolen Car Came Back, but My Husband Didn’t . . . And All Shall Be Well?

July 17, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

my husband's office chair is empty, yet all shall be well

The same death that took Jesus took my husband. Can we say then that all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well?  Read more.

There’s a Dandelion Growing on My Grave

July 3, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

my grave cypress-lawn-cemetery-colma

We picked out a gravesite for Jon last month. And one for me. Jon’s grave was next to his sister’s. My grave had a dandelion growing on it.  Read more.

Widowed: 2020 Was a Very Good Year — For Jon and Me

June 26, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

j2020 was a very good year widowed on-and-barbara-newhall

2020 was a very good year for my husband and me. We had time for each other, and it seemed there was plenty more time ahead.  Read more.

Widowed, I’m Staying Put. And So Are My Bricks

June 19, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

brick-pavers-atlas

I’m widowed, but I’m staying put for now. Also staying put are the charming old bricks in our backyard staircase.  Read more.

Drumroll! I’ve Just Written My 600th Blog Post.

June 12, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

my 600th blog poast

Here’s my 600th post on a blog that’s seen me through births, deaths, a major house remodel, a pandemic, and some dark nights of the soul.  Read more.

The Kids Are Coming for a Visit. No Time to Write

June 5, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

my kids are coming for a visit

My grown-up kids are coming for a visit this week. There will be just the three of us Peter, Christina and I.  Read more.

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LET’S CONNECT

ON THE FUNNY SIDE

With a Little Luck You’ll Live Long Enough to Breed Flies in Your Attic

Dead flies caught on sticky fly paper. They didn't live long. Photo by Barbara Newhall

Back in 1987 old age seemed a long ways away. It still does.  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!

san-francisco-street-paving-bricks

When a Widow Laughs. Or, a Backyard Work in Progress

A relaxed groom in red t-shirt smiles and carries his Mens's Wearhouse tux in a bag. Photo by BF Newhall

The Mother-of-the-Groom Diaries: The Day Before the Big Day

Rebecca Foust, author of "Paradise Drive: Poems," spoke at Book Passage bookstore in Corte Madera, CA, in 2015. Writers Photo by Barbara Newhall

Two California Poets: One Romantic, the Other Not So Much

Copy of a jury duty summons and juror badge superior court of california. Photo by BF Newhall

In Judge Harbin-Forte’s Courtroom — Where Jury Duty Is an Exercise in Mindfulness

MORE DON'T MISS!

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