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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
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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."

Buzz Saw Bliss — Sheltering at Home Day 3

March 20, 2020 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 5 Comments

Buzz saw bliss -- a lumberjack-in-tree

It was loud. It was awful. It was the sound of a buzz saw echoing across the canyon. At last, that bushy old Monterey pine would be gone from our view. Read more.

Sheltering at Home Day 2: Oh, No! Our Porta-Potty Is Gone

March 19, 2020 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 6 Comments

porta-potty-taken-awayTerrible news. They’ve hauled away our porta-potty. Which means that work has ground to a halt on our half-finished house remodel. Read more.

Day One: Self-Isolation — For Us It’s Already Been Two Weeks of Sheltering at Home

March 18, 2020 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 3 Comments

zumba dancers -- before the corona virus pandemic

Jon and I have been sheltering at home — no Zumba classes for me — for two weeks now. And I have to tell you, it’s no fun. Read more.

Sheltering at Home: Day Zero

March 17, 2020 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 4 Comments

house remodel mess

The deadly COVID-19 virus is stalking the San Francisco Bay Area and authorities have ordered me and my neighbors to be sheltering at home starting now. Read more.

Where’s Barbara? On Instagram, of Course

March 14, 2020 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 2 Comments

barbara falconer newhall on instagram

Where have I been? On Instagram, of course. So much quicker and easier than writing blog posts. Look for me and lots of photos at @BarbaraFalconerNewhall. Read more.

A Marriage Proposal — The Man Said Yes

March 6, 2020 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 2 Comments

marriage proposal

On Saturday Jon and I celebrated the 11th anniversary of our marriage proposal: Yesterday we celebrated our 43rd wedding anniversary. What’s the catch? Read more. 

Cathy Guisewite: I Can’t Wait to Spend Time With This Funny, Wise Lady

April 6, 2019 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 4 Comments

cartoonist Cathy Guisewite's new book, "Fifty Thing That Aren't My Fault," arrived in my mailbox yesterday. Can't wait to read it. Photo by Barbara Newhall

Cathy Guisewite, cartoonist and author of “Fifty Things That Aren’t My Fault,” writes the way I want to write: with humor and grace. Read more.

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LET’S CONNECT

ON THE FUNNY SIDE

My Days Are Numbered — And So Are My Minutes

clock-12:01

My days are numbered, so I’ve decided to be miserly about how I spend what’s left of them.  Read more.

MORE "ON THE FUNNY SIDE"

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  • A Case of the Human Condition
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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!

Peter Newhall lifts his Reds baseball cap during Piedmont CA rec department game. Photo 1991 by BF Newhall

Will Our Kids Grow Up to Be Cheaters Like Lance Armstrong?

covid-19-warning

Tales From the Pandemic Shut-Down — It’s Been Three Years

A bride in white lace gown with bouquet of mixed purple flowers laughs during her weddng ceremony. Photo by BF Newhall

The Mother-of-the-Groom Diaries: Snapping Pictures at My Son’s Wedding

A dream about wrestling. Detail of a column in the Wurzburg Cathedral, shaped in a knot. Photo by Barbara Newhall

A Dream About Wrestling With — Uh, Who Was That Anyway?

MORE DON'T MISS!

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