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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: The Perfect Husband. The Perfect Christmas Tree

December 15, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

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Widowed: The perfect husband? The perfect Christmas tree? I started a list of all the things that annoyed me about Jon. But I lost the list.  Read more.

‘Tis the Season to Declutter. Or Is It?

December 9, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

1960s-peace-flag

‘Tis the season to declutter — to ditch the 1960s peace flag and make room for the garlic roaster and the pickleball paddles. Or is it?  Read More.

Blood and Guts in My Backyard. Or, Nature Tidies Up

December 2, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

blood and guts in my backyard raven-california

Blood and guts in my backyard: A half-eaten deer lay sprawled under my cypress tree. Ravens croaked the news from the tree above.  Read more.

TV or Not TV: The Week We Turned Off Our 1980s Go-To Screen

November 25, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

TV or not TV? boy-with-stick

TV or Not TV? In 1987 the go-to screen for exasperated moms looking for a way to distract rambunctious kids was — the television set.  Read more.

Sibling Loyalty: My Brother Has a Sister. And I’ve Got a Brother

November 4, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

sibling-loyalty  scowling-baby

Sibling loyalty. Sometimes it means you can ignore your writing deadline and have a fun visit with your brother who just had knee surgery.  Read more.

A Name for Grandma

September 30, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

a name for grandma

What’s a good name for a grandma? No cute nicknames for me. If I was to be a grandmother, I wanted the time-honored title that goes with it.  Read more.

Widowed: Where’s My Lead Pony?

September 9, 2023 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

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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.

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LET’S CONNECT

ON THE FUNNY SIDE

How to Grandmother – When the Grandkids Live 2,500 Miles Away

Berkeley CA ceramist Nancy Selvin with her dog in front of her large painting, 2013. Photo by BF Newhall

My friend Nancy is a potter – a world-class ceramist to be exact – and a grandmother. Much as she loves her work, Nancy wants to spend time with her grandsons – and not just a Thanksgiving dinner here and a birthday party there. The trouble is, the young boys live a continent away. 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!

gallery-goers view Nancy Selvin's works in gouache on paper at the Light Room, Berkeley, CA, 11-2013. Photo by BF Newhall

How to Grandmother – When the Grandkids Live 2,500 Miles Away

Author Lauren Winnerchecks her cell phone at The Glen in Santa Fe in 2009. Photo by BF Newhall

. . . And Two Books I Did Read, Sorta — By Lauren Winner and Anne LaMott

family-christmas-photo

The Truth Behind That Happy Family Photo We Just Sent You. Sheltering at Home Week 39

barbara-falconer-newhall-at-a-writing-retreat

I Write. Therefore, I Procrastinate. Why?

MORE DON'T MISS!

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