Memory Lane

Saturday Morning Cartoons … Decades Ago

Underlying image from White Mountain Puzzles

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Every Saturday morning when we post one of our animations it reminds me of growing up in New York and watching cartoons on Saturday mornings.


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Careful, you are showing your age. That was back when there were only a handful of television channels and they had specific lineups, including Saturday mornings full of children's programming. It was long before there was the Cartoon Network. And, well before you could stream cartoons or watch them on smart phones.


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I don't want the history of cartoons; I want to reminisce about the simpler times. I remember sitting in front of our black and white TV in the playroom with a bowl full of cereal watching my favorite cartoons.


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I remember Mom had all the cereal on the bottom shelf of a kitchen cabinet so that we could make our own breakfast.


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Yes, and I tried so hard not to spill any milk but invariably did.


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Well, that may explain why I have always eaten my cereal dry. And, often straight out of the box.


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Gee, you were efficient even as a kid? Although, I have a hard time imagining you sugar loading on cereal and watching cartoons. Anyway, I can't remember us ever watching cartoons together.


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You are five years younger than me which, at that age, was a huge difference. Plus, we probably did not like the same shows. What did you watch?


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That's easy! The Flintstones, Magilla Gorilla, and Mister Magoo.


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The Flintstones was one of my favorites. That and The Jetsons. Did you know that The Flintstones started out as an animated show for adults? And, was the first animated show to air on primetime?


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You really are determined to give me the history of cartoons, aren't you?


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You brought up The Flintstones, not me. Anyway, the show's creators, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, had created Tom and Jerry, and were certain there was a market for adult animation given the success of relationship-based sitcoms. Shows like I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners, The Donna Reed Show.


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Isn't that the same logic you used when you thought you could turn my crisis into a relationship-based sitcom?

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Yes. Especially when I realized there was an entire cast of supporting characters. But, we never would have hired an animation firm if Hasbro had not suggested it when we met with them.


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True. Regardless, I love that we post our animations on Saturday mornings. It's like going full circle!


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That is fine … as long as cereal is optional.
Image by TrendObjects for iStock

Red isn’t sure that her extreme fear of driving when there’s a risk of high water qualifies as PTSD (and it all started with Black – scroll down for that story!), but she does understand how debilitating it can be (regardless of what triggers it).

What’s interesting is Black picks on Red for many things (that’s part of the job description of a big sister), but not about this because – getting past the stigma of PTSD is tough enough. It’s why National PTSD Awareness Month is so important – not only for those who have PTSD, but for everyone.



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I love the new The Eyewall newsletter that keeps an eye (pun intended) on tropical activity in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico.


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You definitely watch the weather more than I do. But, I know that is because you have an extreme “fear” (or however you want to describe it) of driving in heavy rain and potentially facing road flooding.


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Borderline terror. Thanks to you.


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Me? I thought I was the one who taught you what to do when encountering high water.
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Red's two Labradoodles

Photo taken by Red

May is National Pet Month, and it’s a bittersweet time for Red as she lost Moo (her black Labradoodle pictured above) just before the New Year. It’s the first time she’s been without a pet since Woof arrived (see below for original post from 2021, including the third “silly name”), and not a day goes by that she doesn’t miss the companionship and unconditional love. So, she tries to focus on all the wonderful memories, knowing that one day she’ll welcome another pet into her life …



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Well, this month marks 18 years since you changed my life, so I wanted to thank you. Again. For bringing such happiness into the lives of the girls and me, although some heartbreaking sadness, too. But there's nothing like unconditional love.


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OK, but can you tell me what you are talking about?


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Do you remember when I moved to Houston after living overseas, and we started going to the Hyatt Hill Country in San Antonio for Memorial Day weekend? You were married to Larry, and his girls were young, and Natasha and Sawyer were even younger. Well, in 2003 you asked me if it was OK if you got us a puppy.


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You had always talked about getting a dog but wanted to have children first. The timing seemed right, but given your allergies, the options were limited. Until I learned about a new breed, well technically a mixed breed, originally developed in Australia to be hypoallergenic guide dogs.


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I'll never forget you showing me photos of the most incredibly adorable dogs I'd ever seen. The fact Labradoodles were half standard poodle, which was what I had initially thought we'd get, and half Labrador Retriever was amazing. But only you could find the perfect dog from an article in a business magazine.
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Since today’s Christmas and Chanukah starts tonight, we want to wish you Happy Christmukkah (yes, it’s a real thing)! And we’re rerunning this Christmas story from Black’s childhood – not only because it’s one of Red’s favorites, but because believing in Santa can happen to anyone, even Black …

BLACK: I do not know at what age my Christmas memories began, but I do remember being very young and in awe of a very large – and very well decorated – Christmas tree in our family room. I even remember peeking down the stairs late one evening and seeing my mother standing extremely close to Santa Claus. OK, you might not find that an unusual memory, except my family is Jewish.

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