Pam Webb

a writer's journey as a reader

Archive for the category “winter”

03 Feb 2025
14 Comments

The Evolution of TV and Me


I’m a boomer, which means I grew up with television. I remember that freestanding television set that sat in the room off my parents’ bedroom. There was a couch and a coffee table which I guess would make it a den.

The early years

Shows were black and white, channels were three, and times were 6 am (farmer’s report) to 11 pm (news). Then nothing played except the sign off signal and this:

mystical—isn’t it?

Color TV was for the income bracket above ours. My uncle had one.

TV furniture

I remember being mesmerized seeing Lassie in color.

from this
to this

It didn’t take long for our family to get a color console. I think my mom and her brother had a friendly competition going about keeping up with the latest.

I grew up with shows like “Dobie Gillis,” my older brother’s liking. My faves were “The Mickey Mouse Club,”“Romper Room,” and “Soupy Sales.” And sometimes “Captain Kangaroo.”

this guy didn’t always come with a filter

Locally we had JP Patches. Yes, among my first celebrity crushes was a clown. This was before Stephen King changed our perspective about them.

great show

Of course there was “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color” hosted by Uncle Walt. It was a highlight of the week.

Every Sunday night right before bedtime

Television sounds like a huge part of my childhood and yet I have more memories of being outside playing than being inside watching.

As I grew up so did television in depth and presentation. There were more channels, more programs, more dedication to certain shows. Instant access to world events, which wasn’t always a positive.

Setting up a college dorm room involved packing a portable TV. These were black and white, but hey, it beat having to go to the dorm lounge and have to watch the show of whoever got there first.

handy, so handy

Young married life had other priorities besides buying a TV, yet somehow we bought one.

sleek, not fake furniture

Without cable or a dish the access to stations remained limited to the basic three stations: ABC, NBC, and CBS. We mainly tuned in to PBS. My kids were “Reading Rainbow” fans. Since I worked at a library books were a bigger focus than TV shows and we watched our fair share of VHS movies.

Once we became an empty nester household there were more evening hours and more income. PBS and DVD movies were still the norm. Buy into cable or dish? Pay to watch TV?!?

Then our oldest son convinced us to buy his old flat screen. Very nice. Then with my government economic boost check I invested in my own smart TV with a soundbar and installed it in a vacated kids room (now my office or Mom Cave). The hubs was shocked. Considering how much I wasn’t into watching programmed television suddenly I had more stations than I could possibly imagine at the tips of my fingers.

not my cave, yet it’s got the gist

Choice and availability didn’t change my habits though. I still watch PBS, being annoyed with commercial TV,I still abstained from paying for TV. That is until T-Mobile came up with such a customer deal: free Netflix and Apple TV. Couldn’t resist.

At first I binged on all those shows I had heard about (sure beat having to check them out as DVDs from the library, if that had that series and if they weren’t too scratched to play). Then I realized I often spent a half hour or more trying to find something to watch.

With winter’s early evening darkness I tend to retreat into my Mom Cave around five or six and zone out until bedtime. Not my best use of time, I admit.

I read in the morning and afternoon, preferring natural light. And dislike working on my computer at night (too much of a throwback to those nights of grading papers and creating lesson plans). I even tried resurrecting my interest in playing the recorder (I didn’t want to disturb my husband’s restful reading time so have that up).

I’m open to suggestions of how to spend those long winter evenings without resorting to streaming (which induces that inner scream of “turn it off—you can do this—just set down the remote).

Maybe I should move somewhere that doesn’t get dark until 9 pm. Then again that would invite a different sort of problems.

Posted in Family, memories, Reflections, Relaxation, Television series, winter and tagged , , ,
20 Dec 2024
5 Comments

TV, Eat, Sleep, Repeat…


Hmm—sounds like a recipe for the winter humdrums because the weather outside is frightful, and while I often do find some inside diversions that are delightful (such as reading and more reading), the above title reflects the tedium of my 14 hours of air travel to Okinawa.

Last year, around this time, I traveled solo to Okinawa to meet my DIL (daughter-in-law) and my new granddaughter. This year I was invited to return to Okinawa to be my DIL’s doula for their expected son. An honor I couldn’t resist.

Having flown last year to Okinawa, I felt better prepared for the flight, airport layovers, and overall stamina needed. Last year the hours in the air weren’t so bad, perhaps since I had splurged on Comfort Plus and snagged an aisle seat. Delta serves great meals, BTW. I also bought one of those advertised wraparound-the -neck pillows. Definitely a recommended purchase as I could nap without my head flopping about.

However, preparedness aside, this year I noticed my body didn’t travel as well. Backside, knees, shoulders all began to complain after six hours of sitting. Even my mantra of “Watch some TV, get some sleep, wake up to eat, and then repeat” did little to alleviate my discomfort.

I can’t imagine what it’s like being squished into economy for 10 hours. I’m glad my family convinced me into buying extra leg room.

All that discomfort and tedium faded away once established in my son’s guest room. Playing with my granddaughter, hanging out with my son and DIL, and touristing are all pleasant aspects of the visit.

An extra bonus is that Okinawa weather is a tonic since with its blue skies, warm sun, and offshore breezes. I left behind in Idaho grey skies, snowy days, chilly temps, and a longing for sun. Today in Okinawa it was a balmy 66 degrees at 10 am and I slipped outside to soak up the rays.

Yes, I did pink up sitting in the sun for a few minutes. Who can resist an ocean view on a sunny balcony? I sure couldn’t!

Doula duty is coming up in a week or two. Until then it’s play, sleep, eat, and repeat with my amazing Okinawa fam.

Posted in Family, Japan, memories, Reflections, winter and tagged , ,
16 Jan 2024
4 Comments

Word Nerds: Jest for the sound


As much as I am a fan of the new year because it provides a fresh start, I am not a fan of the cold weather January brings. Most of the first days have been in temperatures of single digits and in minus increments. And then there was those two four days of snow. Going outside has become a matter of great consideration and since cold weather is keeping me more inside than outside I’m looking for day brighteners. Words are often my go to happy place. There are some words that when I hear them bring a smile because of the way they sound, and sometimes their meaning is amusing:

hobbledehoy: an ungainly youth—I had a few of these in class

sklent: any slanting surface, such as a slope—noted, when it freezes after a snowstorm

feirie: healthy, strong—are fairies feirie?

cakeage: a few a restaurant charge for bringing in an outside cake—you can have your cake and eat it too, as long as you pay for it

kvetch: to chronically complain—the extra snow has me doing plenty of this

No more snow!!!

tintinnabulation: the ringing of bells—which gets tinnitus riled up

yestreen: during yesterday evening

elsewhither: in another direction; toward a different place or goal—I travel here often

nibling: a child of one’s sibling—a solution to gender identification?

quiddity: the essential nature of a thing—snowy days create this feeling that winter is essentially cold and annoying

pulchritudnious: physically beautiful—this one is baffling in that it is an unlovely sounding word to describe loveliness

skookum: large; powerful—can’t wait to try this one out

mountweazel: a decoy word used in a dictionary or encyclopedia to catch publishers who might try to copy the content—like paper towns

cromulent: acceptable or legitimate—reminds me of crumpets

And an appropriate word to end with is:

jollify: to make merry—when the snow fades and spring begins to be a reality

No more snow in the forecast happy dance
Posted in bloggers, everyday expressions, humor, language, Reflections, winter and tagged , ,
26 Oct 2023
3 Comments

Oh no, that four letter word s**w


There is an unspoken rule that winter is not allowed to happen while autumn is still working on dropping leaves. And winter should hold off until November, preferably until after Thanksgiving. December is acceptable.

We all know winter doesn’t play by the rules.

Waking up to this while it’s still October set back my cheery outlook:

Insult to injury were the winds of 14+ mph all through the day. A few birds attempted to visit the feeder, like this persevering mourning dove.

Not being a winter fan (I don’t ski, walking is curtailed, and hammocking is postponed) snow is definitely a four-letter word in my realm.

Trying to recoup the day I tried to find some positives. A cozy fire was made, a cup of cocoa while I edited a manuscript, fave Pandora station in the background, a new jigsaw puzzle, and a stack of books from the library. Oh, leaf raking is on hold and the yard looks tidier with the leaves hidden by that fresh snow topping.

Okay, not so bad after all, especially since it all melted by 1 pm.

I can’t fight winter🥶

I can find ways of coping, and this winter preview made me realize that snow doesn’t have to ruin my outlook. Keep the cocoa coming and always have a few books on the ready and it will be April before I know it.

Posted in fall, humor, language, Nature, Reflections, Seasons, winter and tagged , , ,
07 Mar 2023
10 Comments

Worm Moon Musings


Look up! It’s a full moon! It’s the Worm Moon! Worm Moon? Yes. It’s the Worm Moon.

As over the moon I am about full moons I am not familiar with tonight’s Worm Moon. I’m not squeamish about worms but naming a full moon after these little earth burrowers simply goes against logic and romantic notions. The moon is the silver lady in the sky or the beaming gentleman among the stars (no bias). Attaching “worm” to the full moon status is perplexing.

Good old Farmer’s Almanac helped me out on this one. The March 7th full moon is the Worm Moon because (ready for the drumroll…) winter has passed and the ground is warming up signaling spring is near and the worms are waking up to surface to feed the incoming birds.

Replay that. Winter has passed? Spring is near? Robins and etc are landing to snack on the worms?

Winter has not passed. Spring? HAHAHA This guy is not a worm snacker. Haven’t seen a robin for a long, long time.

I’m looking forward to the rest of the year’s moons. Join me wherever you are and we will gaze up at the night sky in shared appreciation. Worm Moon, indeed…

  • April 6: Pink moon 
  • May 5: Flower moon 
  • June 3: Strawberry moon 
  • July 3: Buck moon 
  • August 1: Sturgeon moon 
  • August 30: Blue moon 
  • September 29: Harvest moon 
  • October 28: Hunter’s moon 
  • November 27: Beaver moon 
  • December 26: Cold moon
Posted in humor, Nature, Reflections, winter and tagged , ,
18 Dec 2022
7 Comments

Winter Wonderland Once Again


As stated earlier, the travel bug has not bit us. We hunker down in winter and practice wishful thinking for warmer climates.

All in all, winter is for the birds. Really. That’s what we are doing for entertainment. We have enticed juncos, nuthatches, chickadees, sparrows, finches, a part time dove, and an infrequent flicker to our front yard with seed and such and sit back and enjoy the show.

Took Rocket J. Squirrel a few attempts to reach the feeder

We have a very basic feeder and try to keep it filled; however when it’s 19 degrees, with a brisky wind, finding alternative methods of feeding our feathered friends, like tossing food out the window for them onto the snow is the solution.

The seed buffet has garnered the attention of other critters: squirrels and deer. The squirrels are comical in how they try to avoid going through the snow to get to the food. They traverse on the branches above and tail twitch in frustration that they can’t quite reach the feeder. We spent a good hour observing how one squirrel finally took the plunge and dove into the snow, tunneling a track to feeder’s base to glean dropped seeds.

All you can eat seed buffet

The deer easily amble over to the feeder and lick seeds off the tray. They are not perturbed by our presence at the window.

We think this little guy looks like a burro so we have dubbed it Burrito

The most entertaining morning session was when the squirrel and deer arrived at the same time. The deer held their ground and would not acknowledge the squirrel’s attempts to mosey up to the seed feed. Old Rocket would inch up, tail twitching in anxiety and then Burrito would level a look that translated as “Excuse me?” and Rocket would hightail up the tree and pace the limb waiting, waiting, waiting for his turn.

Showdown at OK Feed and Seed

As for the birds—their territorial flutterings are reminiscent of playground squabbling. There is one white-crowned sparrow who is pro at fluffing up his feathers and chasing off the smaller birds from the seed buffet.

Like little kids playground squabbling

For most, the chosen winter sport is skiing, for us staying warm, while we watch from our chair side seats the front yard antics, suffices. Although, truthfully, after the third snow dump (and it’s still early December) I might just look into those Costco travel brochures that we pass by when we load up on birdseed. I imagine there are birds I can watch from a beachside balcony.

Posted in Animals, birds, humor, Reflections, winter and tagged , , ,
15 Dec 2020
4 Comments

A Dearth of Birds


Our once busy front yard bird feeder has grown silent. Usually there is a mix of winter residents such as nuthatches, chickadees, and other feathered friends who visit. Not this year.

Starting late summer we noticed decreased bird activity. Daily sightings dwindled until only ground feeders like the doves would appear. There was a flurry of pine siskins at one point but they are long gone.

We have missed our birds and are perplexed by their disappearance. Research shows bird traffic in some areas has diminished. Are birds deciding to isolate as well?

My solution? A faux bird. It permanently perches at the feeder and almost fools me that our birdie friends are somewhere out there.

Happy is the bird the bird that perches in wait of friends and feed

Anyone else missing their usual mix of backyard birds?

Posted in birds, Nature, Reflections, winter and tagged ,
08 Feb 2020
7 Comments

Oatmeal Winter


Shakespeare must have experienced a few discouraging winters when he penned the lines for Richard III: “The winter of our discontent.”

Although the line is more metaphorical than literal, concerning rulership and kingly reign, it is a line that reverberates and has been applied to other aspects. Britain claimed in the late seventies with strikes occurring during a freezing winter, and Steinbeck borrowed it as well.

However, Shakespeare’s line aptly fits my present state of mind. Our corner of the world has experienced a ramshackle winter of excessive snowfall followed by excessive rain, which makes for interesting conditions—much like existing in a 7-11 Slurpee cup. Then there is the continuous grey or gray, if you prefer, days. The sky casts the muted shades of blahness, and the snow is no longer a cheery pristine. I call January and February the Oatmeal Days of winter: gray and lumpy all around.

Not that I really believe in the predictions of Old Puxy, but it’s some kind of wonderful when the thought of spring is that much closer. The first Sunday of February made me a believer of prognosticating groundhogs as blue skies and sunshine greeted the day. Even though it was a bracing 36 degrees, I bundled up and sat outside and soaked up as much heliotherapy as I could before the chill penetrated my enjoyment.

And then the respite ended. Back to the slog of rain and snow, which triggers my discontent.

Having had that momentary blue sky day, I realized it’s not the snow that undermines my temporal happiness– it’s the lack of color. The sameness everyday is a mood quencher. Therefore, I have devised my own therapy.

If I can’t count on blue sky winters I will bring color to my own delight.

Safeway flowers
windowsill marbles
Chromecast screen savers
Puzzles
Plants

These attempts to brighten my outlook seem to help, especially when I see the forecast is once again gloomy. Winter can create discontent, yet I can always add a little color content to become content.

How do you cope with winter’s gray days?

Posted in humor, Reflections, winter and tagged , ,
11 Jan 2020
13 Comments

Word Nerd Confessions: January


Ah, January. Mixed feelings about this calendar month. While I embrace turning the corner into a new year with all that freshness and anticipation that goes with flipping to a new date, I do not embrace how January in our parts is the “definitely winter is here” month. For instance:

Overnight storm compilation. More to come *sigh*

A bit of the doldrums occur in January, what with the cold weather, shorter days, lack of landscape color, and growing stack of assignments to grade as the semester’s close approaches.

SO–

This month’s collection of words calls for amusing, or downright quirky lexicon.

1. pawky: cunning, sly

2. pettifog: to bicker or quibble over insignificant matters

3. jactation: boasting; bragging

4. fecund: creative intellectually

5. appellative: a descriptive name as Reepicheep the Valiant

6. orgulous: haughty; proud

7. remora: hindrance or obstacle

8. fulgrant: flashing like lightning

9. omphaloskepsis: contemplating one’s navel

10. daffing: merriment; playful behavior

Hmm, during the remainder of January I shall endeavor to be pawky in how to approach my doldrums in order to avoid fulgrant irritability that leads to pettifog since an abundance of snow is a remora to becoming fecund.Perhaps I shall become so stoic and earn an appellative name: Cricket the Winter Muse, then again that might entail jactation leading to an orgulous reputation. On the other hand excess winter could cause my resolve to slip into dithering and omphaloskepsis.

Posted in Blogging, humor, Reflections, winter, Words and tagged , ,
16 Nov 2019
6 Comments

Timely Trials


November is a conundrum, being a month that offers a mixture of pleasantries and of trauma.

First off, how can one hour wreak absolute havoc? The bonus of getting extra sleep when setting the clock back one hour quickly becomes a bad trade off since my body clock doesn’t easily adjust.

I’m one of those people who doesn’t need to set an alarm clock. No matter when I go to bed I wake up at 5 am. Sleeping in is an ideal, not a reality. DST now creates the dilemma of the time read on my bedside table blaring “4 am” in red LED numerals. Gah.

It takes until spring, about the time we spring forward, that my body clock reconciles the hour difference.

Another November trial is PTC—Parent Teacher Conferences. Our district provides two nights (after working a full day) where teachers are available to parents. As much as I enjoy meeting parents, it’s a tough schedule, especially since that hour sleep deprivation is amplified by a week. I hope parents don’t think their student’s teacher is a zombie because after a week of disturbed sleep cycle I am definitely feeling zombi-ish.

Fortunately, the long two days trades out nicely as it applies to two days off which coincides with Thanksgiving week. Having a week off after PTC while dealing with DST having graded a stack of SPRPs (Senior Project Research Papers) is definitely appreciated.

And I do enjoy thanksgiving. No holiday shopping hype. No endless rounds of obligatory events to attend. No gifts to stress about. Nope. Food, friends, family. Now, that’s what I call a grand holiday.

One another aspect of November that is irksome is the night factor. Having the sunset earlier and earlier each night means driving home in the dark which initiates the feeling I’m working the swing swift in the coal mines. After working inside all day stepping outside into the light is a necessity. Good thing D3 is inexpensive and I thank whomever for inventing the Happy Light.

perpetuating a perceived reality

November also begins the season which features that four letter word, and its presence stays among us much too long in the area of which I call home. Shiver, shudder, and grumble.

So—November is a bit of a trial, yet knowing there is a pumpkin pie waiting for me at the end of the month makes losing sleep, grading papers, working two twelve hour days, and dealing with that which shall not be named, a bit easier to swallow.

Posted in humor, Reflections, Seasons, teaching, winter and tagged , ,

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