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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
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peter

When Your Sick Kid Is 28 Years Old and 2000 Miles Away 

September 28, 2017 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Grown-up 30-year-old man says goodbye after a Thanksgiving visit home. Photo by Barbara Newhall

What do you do when you’ve got a grown-up kid in the hospital half a continent away? Jump on a plane? Stick by the phone? Read more.

A Case of the Human Condition: When Your Six-Year-Old Wants to Talk Money

July 27, 2017 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

A six-year-old talks money. Photo by Barbara Newhall

Our 6-year-old wanted an allowance. Jon and I debated: 50 cents a week? 75? “Let’s not talk in cents,” said Peter. “Let’s talk in dollars.” Read more.

Kids and Money: A Six-Year-Old Learns the Art of the Deal

July 27, 2017 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Kids and money. Our six-year-old had his eyes firmly on the money. Photo by Barbara Newhall

Some kids dream of growing up to be an astronaut, a vet or a rock star. Our kid had his eyes on the bottom line — on the folding stuff. Read more.

A Dream About Wrestling With — Uh, Who Was That Anyway?

June 8, 2017 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

A dream about wrestling. Detail of a column in the Wurzburg Cathedral, shaped in a knot. Photo by Barbara Newhall

I had a dream about wrestling the other night. Was it a message from my deep psyche — or the heights of heaven? Read more.

Gray Hairs. Wrinkles. And Kids Who Won’t Stop Growing Up

April 13, 2017 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Christina, Jon and Peter. Their mother had gray hairs, bu the kids were still small enough to cuddle. Photo by Barbara Newhall

Peter’s in fourth grade now. My third grade boy is gone. Christina has grown an inch since Easter. My size 6 girl is gone.  Read more.

Revisiting My First Blog Post Ever — How the Selective Service Made a Man of My Son

February 18, 2016 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

The 1998 Selective Service pamphlet -- I left it at the post office.

The powers that be at the Selective Service System were after my son. Read more.

Kindergarten Looms for a 5-Year-Old and His Mom

February 11, 2016 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Peter, ready for his first day of kindergarten at Bentley School, September, 1986. Photo c 1986 B.F. Newhall

What is to become of a 5-year-old who won’t — can’t? — draw? This is not a frivolous question. Read more.

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ON THE FUNNY SIDE

A Name for Grandma

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.

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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Crying 18-month-old girl in arms of a babysitter. Photo by Barbara Newhall

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Little Girl Lost — My Mother’s Magical Babushka

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Iceland poppy blooms in an Oakland, CA, garden. Photo by BF Newhall

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