My Ever-Changing Family

Meet my changing, shrinking, growing family. Here you'll find stories of married life, little kids, grown-up kids, the empty nest, cousins and ancestors, aging parents, and the view from the second half of life.

The Sad State of the Supermarket Strawberry

April 17, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 4 Comments

I’m worried about the strawberry. It’s too late for the tomato. Its innards were transformed into colorless, flavorless – but easily shippable – pulp decades ago. Which is why I’m concerned about the strawberry. Is it going the way of the tomato? Read more.

The Weekend I Talked — And the Kids Listened

April 10, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 1 Comment

You know your kids have turned into grown-ups when they listen to your advice. I don’t mean take your advice. I mean listen – gently and kindly – as you talk away . . . Read more.

Tulips and Sex — Writing as If Everyone I Know Were Dead

April 3, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 11 Comments

I want to write about tulips today. I don’t want to write about sex. The trouble is, for me, writing about tulips means writing about sex: something about their juicy curves brings erotic metaphors to my particular mind. I had thought that once my mother — and father — were no longer alive and reading over my shoulder, I’d be able to write my heart out, but . . . Read more.