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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."

Mono — It’s Never Too Late to Come Down With the Cool Kids’ Kissing Disease

May 17, 2018 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 8 Comments

Elderly woman with mono. Author and blogger Barbara Falconer Newhall succumbs to mono and curls up with an alpaca blanket for comfort. Photo by Jon Newhall

My doctors, a string of them, hadn’t thought to test me for mono. After all, seventy-somethings don’t get mono. Or so we thought. Read more.

Splash! My New Mobile-Friendly Website Is Here

April 24, 2018 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 2 Comments

Introducing Barbara Falconer Newhall's new mobile-friendly website with pic of Barbara at age 8 with new nner tube on the beach. Photo by Tinka Falconer

My new mobile-friendly website is up and running, and I feel the way I did when I got a brand-new inner tube with my name on it: ready to go places. Read more.

Ann Patchett — My Brand-New Favorite Author

October 26, 2017 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 1 Comment

detail of cover of Ann Patchett's audio book "Truth and Beauty."

I’ve got a new favorite author. It’s Ann Patchett. Step aside Marilynne Robinson and Annie Dillard, Leo Tolstoy and Richard Ford. You, too, Philip Roth. Read more.

Gun Safety — I’m Giving Up on the Cause. Here’s Why

October 14, 2017 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 1 Comment

Slashing government regulations. A crime? The scene of the Oakland Ghost Ship fire that killed 36 cordoned off as a "crime scene." Photo by Barbara Newhall

I give up. I’m not going to get on my soap box and plead for better gun safety laws any more. It’s up to gun advocates to get that job done..Read more.

A Totality Disappointment in St. Joseph, Missouri

August 24, 2017 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 1 Comment

A totality disappointment: An eclipse chaser lies on the ground for a better view of the total eclipse August, 2017, St. Joseph, MO. Photo by Barbara Newhall

We traveled 1700 miles to see the eclipse. The moon came between us and the sun, as promised. But so did a big fat cloud. A totality disappointment. Read more.

The Writing Room: Am I Stuck? Or Am I Just Taking a Little Housekeeping Break?

August 17, 2017 By Barbara Falconer Newhall Leave a Comment

Am I stuck as a writer? I'd rather watch this asphalt crew at work filling in gutter in front of my house. Photo by Barbara Newhall

Sitting at a blank laptop screen awaiting writerly inspiration isn’t that much fun nowadays. I’d rather watch the guys laying asphalt in front of our house. Am I stuck? Read more.

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

August 10, 2017 By Barbara Falconer Newhall Leave a Comment

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.

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LET’S CONNECT

ON THE FUNNY SIDE

A Case of the Human Condition: Would My Husband Like to Add My Name to His?

Jon and I had been married nearly 12 years. It was time to pop the question again. I had taken his last name as mine. Would he like to add my maiden name to his?

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!

An oversized red strawberry is bigger than the bowl of the spoon it rests on. Photo by BF Newhall

The Sad State of the Supermarket Strawberry

My grandmorther's pince-nez with gold chain, hairpin and laminated metal case from J.H. Chinnery, optometrist, Scottville, Michigan. Photo by Barbara Newhall

‘Tis the Season to Declutter. Or Is It?

Melissa-Orme-painting

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

adoptive-family

A Baby to Adopt — The Letter That Made It Happen Forty Years Ago

MORE DON'T MISS!

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