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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 Husband Passed Away and Took the Encyclopedia With Him

May 29, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

my-husband-passed-away

When my husband passed away, he took the family encyclopedia with him. Fun facts, handy info, and beloved family stories went with him.  Read more.

When Someone Dies, Send Flowers

May 22, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

tulips-condolences send flowers

My husband is dead. Forget “in lieu of.” I want the flowers.  Read more.

Not Enough Rain. Not Enough Stories About My Husband

May 8, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

not enough stories about my husband. not enough rain. California-Grapevine-2014-drought

I wish I’d written more stories about my husband. But he was a good guy, and our marriage didn’t generate a lot of bloggable drama.   Read more.

Would My Husband Like to Take My Name?

May 1, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

add my name to his? jon-and-barbara-newhall-get-married

My fiance had no middle name. When we married, I asked, would he like to take my name to fill the empty spot in the middle of his? Read more.

A Hopeful Realist Is Keeping Me Company These Days

April 24, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

hopeful realist contemplates the pinwheel-galaxy-NASA

I like to think of Geoff Machin as a hard-headed realist. A hard-headed — hopeful — realist is just the right company for me these days. Read more.

My Husband Is Gone. But the Tree Trimmers Showed Up as Promised.

April 17, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

tree-trimmer-in-tree

My husband is gone. Does that mean I have to cancel the household projects we planned and dreamed of doing? Read more.

My Husband Died, and Denial and Distraction Are My Go-To States for Now

April 10, 2021 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

my-husband-died-so-I-hiked -at-chimney-rock

My husband of 44 years died seven weeks ago. So far, I’ve used denial and distraction to keep my mind off the silence.  Read more.

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LET’S CONNECT

ON THE FUNNY SIDE

A Case of the Human Condition: I’ve Got a Dirty Little Secret — I (Still) Can’t Say No to Toys

ewok hut toy about 16 inches tall with ewok characters. Photo by BF Newhall

Some people can’t resist chocolate. For others, it’s clothes. Some folks, oddly enough, will spend $110,000 on a Ferrari with no back seat and hardly any trunk. Imagine that . . . For me as the mother of young children, toys were my weakness. Read more.

MORE "ON THE FUNNY SIDE"

CATEGORIES

  • A Case of the Human Condition
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  • On Writing & Reading
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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!

Artichokes stacked for sale at Whole Foods, Berkeley, CA. Photo by BF Newhall

I’m a Meat-Eating Loser – I Didn’t Win the New York Times Ethicist Contest

at-the-beach-in-the-1940s

Was My Mother a 1950s Tradwife?

The bride was beautiful. A crystal headpiece set off Christina Newhall's short dark hair on her wedding day in May. Photo by Barbara Newhall

They Did It — They Got Married (And the Bride Was Beautiful)

On April 4, 2016, former employees of the Oakland, California, Tribune, had a wake in honor of the paper's last day of publication. Photos by Barbara Newhall

Oakland Tribune: The Trib Is Dead, Long Live the Tribbers

MORE DON'T MISS!

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