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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
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ON THE FUNNY SIDE

Need some levity? Read on!

The Lost Art of the Telephone Conversation — Here’s What Happened to It. Sheltering at Home Week 14

June 19, 2020 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

the lost art of the telephone conversation

I know why young people do all that texting. It’s because 21st-century wireless phones make for a lousy telephone conversation, and kids want to — talk. Read more.

Grandparenting Via Webcam — Helping Out Those Frazzled Parents. Sheltering a Home Week 13

June 11, 2020 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

babysitting-via-webcam

Babysitting via webcam: The grandchildren are sheltering at home with their frazzled mom and dad. Can grandparents give parents a break from afar? Read more.

I’m Bored. No, It’s Worse Than That. I’m Boring. Sheltering at Home Week 10

May 24, 2020 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

I'm boring. But I haven't always been. old-woman-pole-dancing

I’d love to chat with the neighbor I spot on the street. But nothing’s happening in my locked-down life. I’ve got no gossip, no big news. I’m boring. Read more.

My Pretty New Clothes — Shall I Just Wear Them Around the House? Sheltering at Home Week 10

May 21, 2020 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

pretty-new-clothes

My pretty new clothes. I bought them last fall. They’re just hanging in my closet. Shall I take them out and wear them to scrub pots and deadhead azaleas? Read more.

I Need a Haircut. Or do I? Sheltering at Home. Week 9

May 17, 2020 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

i-need-a-haircut

Nine weeks into the coronavirus shut-down, I’m wondering — do I need a haircut? What would happen if I just let it grow…and grow? Read more.

My Coronavirus Nightmare — I’m in a Crowd of People and I Forgot My Mask. Sheltering at Home Week 9

May 14, 2020 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

coronavirus nightmare

My psyche is no slouch. It’s keeping up with current events, and it’s invented a coronavirus nightmare to match the times. Read more.

Post-Coronavirus, What Will Happen to All That Hugging We’ve Been Doing? Sheltering at Home Week 6

April 19, 2020 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

hugging fake-hugs-Cordero-Roman

Personally, I like a little time to pass, and an actual friendship to evolve, before I do any serious hugging with somebody. Read more.

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ON THE FUNNY SIDE

A Dad, a Mom and an 8-Year-Old With a Bashed Lip

eight-year-old boy smiling up from a swimming pool. photo by bf newhall

At 7 on a Saturday night, eight-year-old Peter came home from the park with a lip the size of a ping-pong ball. He had been hit by a hardball on the fly. I wanted to take him to the ER. Jon said no, it was just a fat lip. 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!

 

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