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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."

I Searched for Jesus, and Here’s What I Found

December 25, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 2 Comments

A life-sized baby Jesus doll on sale laies on the pavement at the Mercado in San Miguel de Allende. Photo by Barbara Newhall

Christmas was coming and I needed a Christmassy, Jesusy post. I went to my photo gallery — where else?– and I searched for Jesus. Read more.

My Old Stuff — A Little Moldy, a Little Dusty, but Unlike Certain People It’s Still With Me

December 18, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 4 Comments

a pair of old alumunium crutches with disintegrating padding. Photo by Barbara Newhall

Things. They stay where you put them. They don’t talk back or upchuck on the Persian rug. They don’t require thank-you notes or post cards from Tahoe. I like my things. Read more.

Advent: Witnessing to the Light – With Tinsel and a Plastic Santa

December 11, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 2 Comments

A box marked Advent overflows with Christmas decorations, including an angel, a Santa and shiney tinsel garlands. Photo by Barbara Newhall

It’s Advent, the traditional time of (quiet!) preparation for Christmas. But when it arrives, what does Christmas bring, really? Read more.

The Perfect Christmas Tree — I Finally Found It

December 4, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 2 Comments

Rows of perfectly shaped christmas tree on a tree farm. Creative commons photo

At the Christmas tree lot, the kids played hide ’n’ seek amid the trees, leaving me to find the perfect Christmas tree. The responsibility weighed heavy. Read more.

A Patch of Fireweed in the Northwest — What Color Are Those Blossoms? Do I Need to Know?

November 13, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 3 Comments

The sun was shining on a stand of fireweed, so the blossoms were pink and the foliage bright green. PHoto by Barbara Newhall

I couldn’t make up my mind about that tall stand of fireweed I saw growing on the edge of a woodlet in the Pacific Northwest last summer. Were those blossoms purple? Blue? Pink? Or what? Read more.

San Juan Islands Flora: Or, I Cling, Therefore I Am

November 6, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 7 Comments

Granite rocks with lichen and pickle grass in Washington's San Juan Islands. Photo by Barbara Newhall

We cling. We cling to stuff. We cling to moments in time. On vacation last summer I clung to the verdant San Juan Islands flora. Read more.

KidSpirit OnLine: Where Young Souls Take On the Big–Old–Questions

October 30, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 1 Comment

The logo of KidSpirit OnLine.

Does truth have inherent value? What is beauty? Those are big questions, but the brave, young souls of KidSpirit OnLine are ready to take on the big ideas. Read more.

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LET’S CONNECT

ON THE FUNNY SIDE

Actor Robert Morse – Sweaty at 36, Sublime at 83

A black and white photo of actor Robert Morse as a young comedian gawking for the camera.

The last time I saw Robert Morse there were beads of sweat on his forehead. It was 1967 and he was working the crowd on the set of a local TV comedy show. Robert Morse was on. He was going for laughs and he was going for them with the intensity of a rocket launch. He was doing what mid-life folks do – he was striving.

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!

The Writing Room: If It’s Religious, Can It Be Art?

An exotic orange blossom from Bloomster's floral designer Kren P. Rasmussen. Photo by BF Newhall

I Can’t Take My Eyes Off Those Flowers — From the Mighty Rose to the Humble Daisy

Dave-McQueen-Zodiac

Clarence Thomas, Anita Hill, Jon and Me

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

MORE DON'T MISS!

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