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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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peter

The Perfect Christmas Tree — I Finally Found It

December 4, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Rows of perfectly shaped christmas tree on a tree farm. Creative commons photo

At the Christmas tree lot, the kids played hide ’n’ seek amid the trees, leaving me to find the perfect Christmas tree. The responsibility weighed heavy. Read more.

Little Girls Are Superior to Little Boys — Here’s Why

June 12, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

A 5-year-old boy wearing shorts holds on to the arm of a 3-year-old girl in a dress. Photo by BF Newhall

Little girls are superior to little boys. This fact is not written down in black and white anywhere. The popular baby books talk warily around the topic of sex differences. And researchers will make only minor, technical concessions to the superiority of girls. Read more.

I Brake for Floor Plans — I Like to See How Those Other People Live

May 1, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Floor plan of condo on East 86 Street, Manhattan, with three bedrooms and 3.5 baths.

It’s Sunday morning. I pull the New York Times Magazine from the fat stack of newspapers on the breakfast table, fully intending to read the informative, thought-provoking articles inside. But I get no farther than page two, because that’s where the real estate ads are – the ones with the floor plans. Read more.

The Weekend I Talked — And the Kids Listened

April 10, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

A traditional house in an snowy, tree lined neighborhood in southwest Minneapolis offered by Edina Realty. Photo by BF Newhall

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.

Los Angeles — The Good, the Bad and the Truly Ugly

August 15, 2013 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

ten lanes of bumper to bumper freeway traffic in los angeles. photo by bf newhall

Los Angeles is an awful place. It is 469 square miles of bumper to bumper traffic, sinus clogging air pollution, starless nights and unrelenting summer sun . . . Read more.

It’s August, But It’s Not Too Soon to Wonder — Can Christmas Be Christmas Without the Kids?

August 1, 2013 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

a happy woman finds a gift for herself in the christmas tree. photo by jon newhall

Christmas has gotten to be a scheduling nightmare. Peter lives in Minnesota. Christina lives in Southern California. Jon and I live in Northern California. That puts 400 miles between us and our daughter and 2,000 miles between us and our son. Not exactly over the river and through the woods. Read more.

Wanted: An Evening Handbag That’s Pretty — And Big Enough to Do the Job

July 18, 2013 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

A small silver evening bag at Nordstrom with ruching and a chain sells for $268. Photo by BF Newhall

There’s no such thing as a presentable evening bag that can hold what a woman – a real one – needs to put into her purse these days. 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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hugging-hospital-workers

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

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San Juan Islands Flora: Or, I Cling, Therefore I Am

A bride in white lace gown with bouquet of mixed purple flowers laughs during her weddng ceremony. Photo by BF Newhall

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