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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
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ON THE FUNNY SIDE

Need some levity? Read on!

Widowed: Where’s My Lead Pony?

September 9, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 8 Comments

antler-bar

A lead pony is the seasoned horse who escorts a anxious racehorse to the gate, exerting a calming presence. I’m widowed. Where’s my lead pony?  Read more.

I’m a Widow. Was This Guy Asking Me for a Date?

August 26, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 12 Comments

 I'm-a-widow-was-this-guy-asking-me-for-a-date winding-sidewalk

It was just a friendly chat with a stranger out walking his dog. But then I thought, “I’m a widow. Was this guy asking me for a date?”  Read more.

Widowed: The Superman at My House

August 12, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 8 Comments

the superman at my house Actor-christopher-dennis-superman

The Superman we spotted on Hollywood Boulevard was gorgeous. But Jon, my husband, was the man for me. He was the Superman at my house.  Read more.

Barbie — Sex Object or Blank Slate?

July 29, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 2 Comments

barbie-sex-object-or-blank-slate an-8-year-old-girl-living-out-her-fantasies-as-a-swordswoman

Barbie: A sex object? Or a blank slate for girls to project their dreams on? Neither, if your daughter wants a doll who can fight dragons.  Read more.

Is It OK to Kill Stuff? Yes, If It’s a Mosquito or a Eucalyptus Tree

July 22, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 2 Comments

invasive-eucalyptus-in-california

Is it OK to kill stuff? I couldn’t kill the spider lurking in my shower. But I can kill invasive eucalyptus trees and dive-bombing mosquitoes.  Read more.

My Front Yard — It’s a Happening Place

July 15, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 14 Comments

my front yard -- it's a happening place ,with this lush-flower-garden

My front yard — it’s a happening place. Life forms are shooting up all over it, greedily taking up their allotted space in the universe.  Read more.

Tint My Eyebrows? It’s an Existential Question

June 10, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 16 Comments

fading-eyebrows-aging

It’s an existential question I’ve been asking myself lately: do I go gentle into that good night — or do I tint my eyebrows?  Read more.

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ON THE FUNNY SIDE

Widowed: It’s Jon the Old Guy I Miss the Most

old-man-on-his-deck

Widowed, I miss Jon the old guy of our last years together — when it had become clear we’d be sticking together till death did us part.  Read more.

MORE "ON THE FUNNY SIDE"

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  • 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!

Multicolored Tibetan prayer flags strung on a rope fly at the Himalayan Fair Berkelely 2014. Photo by BF Newhall

Why Pray? — Some Thoughts from Karen Armstrong

Displayed at the East Bay Heritage Quilters show "Voices in Cloth 2016" quilt show in Richmond, CA.. a detail of "Hopscotch," by Susan Fuller. Photo by Barbara Newhall.

East Bay Heritage Quilters — Quilts, Dazzling Quilts

chocolate-birthday-cake-just-desserts

It’s My Birthday and I’m Really Old. Dang! Sheltering at Home Week 26

Artist Judy Seidel in her Berkeley studio, her colorful abstract paintings in the background. Photo by BF Newhall

Judy Seidel: Click Here for an Eyeful of Her Life-Affirming Paintings

MORE DON'T MISS!

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