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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."

Fifteen Patriotic Holiday Gifts for the Worried Progressives on Your List

December 22, 2016 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Patriotic holiday gifts: The American flag is spread at a Warriors basketball game in Oakland, CA. Photo by Barbara Newhall

I’m giving patriotic holiday gifts this year — donations to groups that can help keep our country sane during the stormy Trump years ahead. Read more.

Christmas Is Big. Bigger Than Christianity — And Donald Trump

December 15, 2016 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

The Parrocchia church spires in San Miguel de Allende, where Christmas is big. Photo by Barbara Newhall

Christmas is big. Christianity’s biggest holiday is leaving the religion in the dust with 15 times the Internet mentions of Christianity. Read more.

Oakland’s Ghost Ship — A Vigil

December 8, 2016 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Visitors at the scene of the Oakland Ghost Ship fire that killed 36 young people. A few days after the fire, it was cordoned off as a "crime scene." Photo by Barbara Newhall

I keep thinking, if only the makeshift stairways of the Ghost Ship warehouse had been closer to the exits. If only there had been fire escapes . . . . Read more.

One Broken Ankle, and Two Lives Grind to a Halt. Or, Why You Should Definitely Stop and Tie That Loose Shoelace

December 1, 2016 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

A 75-year-old man with his broken ankle in a cast in a hospital bed in his den with TV. Photo by Barbara Newhall

I’m doing my wifey thing. My husband has a broken ankle and I’m taking care of him. That means I’m exhausted. And grumpy. Read more.

I Decided to Stop Bad-Mouthing Donald Trump. But Will I?

November 17, 2016 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Donald Trump victorious on cable TV. I'm going to stop bad-mouthing Donald Trump. Photo by Barbara Newhall

Last Tuesday night I made a decision. I decided to stop bad-mouthing Donald Trump. I would give him a chance. I’d keep an open mind. But could I? Read more.

Kudos for Wrestling with God — The Author Shamelessly Keeps Score

November 10, 2016 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Kudos -- the Clarion Foreword Reviews logo.

Today I shamelessly brag about the kudos that “Wrestling with God: Stories of Doubt and Faith” has earned: lots of nice reviews and prizes. Read more.

Donald Trump Played Me. Here’s How

November 5, 2016 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

The cover of Donald Trump book, "Think Big and Kick Ass."

Donald Trump played me. He got what he wanted from me this election season. And it wasn’t my vote. Read more.

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LET’S CONNECT

ON THE FUNNY SIDE

A Footwear Meditation–Chic Feet and Stylish Legs on the Go at SFO

Mother and daughter wait for airplane at SFO. The girl wears pink socks, her mother wears camouflage pants. PHoto by Barbara Newhall

A parade of fashionable traveling feet transformed itself into a meditation on the passage of time as I waited for a flight out of SFO last month. Read more.

MORE "ON THE FUNNY SIDE"

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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!

rollin-first-you-cry-cover

Betty Rollin: A Light Has Gone Out. And So Have Many Others

John Donne's poetry is as turbulent and evocative as this Lake Michigan surf in summertime. Photo by Barbara Falconer Newhall

John Donne — A Love Affair With a Poet Long Dead

huband-now-deceased--waiting-in-airport

Three Photos That Bring My Husband Back to Life. And One That Doesn’t

jon Newhall works the Sunday NYT crossword puzzle in the SF Chronicle. Photo by Barbara Newhall

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