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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."

The Writing Room: My Flesh Is Weary — Too Much Book-Writing, Not Enough Yoga

May 6, 2012 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

The cluttered desk and computer of a busy writer. Photo by BF Newhall.

Can you guess who wrote this? “Of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.” Hint: The writer’s been dead for at least two millenniums. Read more.

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

April 22, 2012 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

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

I’m a meat-eating loser. I didn’t win the “Why It’s OK to Eat Meat” essay contest the New York Times Magazine put on a few weeks ago. But I’m OK with that. Read more.

In My Rain-Battered Garden — Nothing Is Forever, Not Even Those Poppies

March 31, 2012 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

I mucked around in the soil beneath this blue beauty, but I couldn't find the Annie's Annuals ID stick. Anybody know what it is? Photos by Barbara Falconer Newhall

St. Jerome kept a human skull on his desk to remind him of his mortality. We gardeners don’t need a skull . We’ve got stuff dying on us every day. Read more.

It’s Spring in Our Brilliant, Bursting, Buzzing Front Yard

March 20, 2012 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Flow Poppies in my California garden. Photo by BF Newhall

I live in California where spring peaks in March. And by last week the little patch of hillside that is our front yard was alive with color. Read more.

A (Lengthy) Case of the Human Condition: Married 35 Years

March 5, 2012 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Married -- Jon and Barbara Newhall at Getty Museum tram, 2012. Photo by Christina Newhall

Jon Newhall and I have been married for 35 years today. Two kids, one house and lots of rewarding jobs later, we seem to be in it for the long haul. Read more.

Why Meditate — When I Could Be Sweeping the Garage?

January 24, 2012 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Jon Newhall sitting on our deck quietly, seen through a window, with trees. Photo by Barbara Falconer Newhall
I’ve tried meditating a few times – a very few times. I’m well read on the subject, however. Indeed, I’ve spent way more time reading about meditation than I’ve spent doing it.

More Pix of Beautiful Yosemite High Country

December 8, 2011 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

River rushes over granite rocks in Tuolumne High Country at Yosemite National Park. Photo by BF Newhall

Inyo National Forest, Yosemite, Tuolemne Meadows — I can’t go there without snapping photo after photo.Read more.

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LET’S CONNECT

ON THE FUNNY SIDE

A Case of the Human Condition: I Want to Kill My Snapdragons

Maroon snapdragons growing in the yard of Barbara Falconer Newhall. Photo by Barbara Newhall

Those maroon snapdragons in my front yard are ugly. But they’re alive. Can I rip them out? Read more.

MORE "ON THE FUNNY SIDE"

CATEGORIES

  • A Case of the Human Condition
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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!

A pretty girl, Christina Newhall, has shaved her head bald and still looks pretty. Photo by Tim Beedle

She’s Shaved Her Head Bald — Is Our Daughter Headed for the Dark Side?

jon-newhall-1997

Widowed: Yes, It Does Get Easier, Sad to Say

Teenaged boy in tux ready for prom. Photo by BF Newhall

How Selective Service Made a Man of My Son — Without Even Trying

couple-on-michiga-beach

Happily Married? One of You Is Going to Get Your Heart Broken

MORE DON'T MISS!

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