Face it. Without your mom you would not be here. She deserves only the best from you. Your Mother is the one that put up with you, fed you, kissed your boo boo’s and she worried relentlessly about you. Not just a little but all the time!

As I have grown up to a 50 something adult it is hard to remember all the things my mom used to have to do for me when I was growing up. It is only as I have grown older, and my parents have become more dependent on me that I have begun to realize what it MAY have been like for her.  But I do remember that they were always there for me, and my brother now matter how much havoc we created.

I could go on and on and on with stories about all the things my brother and I did that I am sure kept mom on the edge of here seat let alone just short of a possible nervous breakdown. Sorry mom. So, as I sat down to write this next section, I was trying to figure out do I list all the things my mom did for me growing up OR do I just tell you some of the things I did that she survived. I think I will go with the second option. 1. Because the stories are funnier, and you will get a laugh. 2. To demonstrate just how much our moms must put up with. 3. I was more than a handful but very grateful for what my parents taught me.

There are all kinds of smart when it comes to kids. I was one of those kids that was mechanically inclined. I would take things apart and put them back together. I could fix things. If you showed me a way to do something I would figure out an easier or better way to do it. Not that I was lazy I just liked to be efficient and if there was a more efficient way to do a job, I would find it. I was also very good at finding and identifying patterns in processes or things that needed solving. Also, took things very literally when I was a kid. So, you had to be carful what you told me. I share this with you so that when you read the true stories below you have some insight.

Take for example the baby mouse event: When my mother was pregnant with my little brother my dad came to me and asked if I would rather have a baby brother or a baby mouse? Being all of 3 years old I said a mouse. Well, I took that conversation literally. A few months later after my brother was born, I went into his crib and grabbed him in my arms and proceeded to walk out of the house. As I, was walking down the hallway my mother (who was in the bathroom at the time) asked me what I was doing with my brother. I replied “I am taking him back to the hospital to get my baby mouse.

We only lived two blocks from the hospital, and it was not until mom heard the screen door slam shut that she realized I was serious. I got halfway to the hospital before she caught up with me.

The escape artist event: I do not recall how old I was, but I was still in a crib. It was a good crib. It was well built and had safety catches so you couldn’t just get out. Well………………. That is until it ran into me. If you remember these old cribs were considerably longer than your wingspan at that age. So, you couldn’t just pull both safety catches and you were out. That is unless you were an adult.  

Being the resourceful problem-solving child, I discovered that if I released one of the locks and kept downward pressure on the catch, it would not lock back into place as I made my way down to the other end. Once I made it to the other end, I could unlock the catch and BOOM! And, just like Richie Havens sang at Woodstock. It was “FREEDOM” for me!

So, my mom got wise to this and fixed the crib so I couldn’t escape. HA! Next time she found me I had bypassed the crib lock down and used the above ground window (that my crib was under) to escape.  So, I unlatched the window and crawled out. Ultimately falling into a 3-foot-deep basement window well. Trapped all I could do was calmly call for my mother. When she returned to the room all she could hear was the soft mom? Mom? Mom? Coming from outside my bedroom window. I wonder what she was thinking when she looked out the window, looked down and saw me looking up at her?

The cowboy vs. cars event: Oh boy this story is going to get you thinking. Really can’t believe I came out of this one unscathed. So, it is the early 1970’s and Dad was opening the California market to Uncle Dan’s. He picked up the family and moved us to Cali so he could begin growing the UD brand. I do not remember how long we were in California but suffice it to say I made good use of my time.  I am not sure of the exact time frame, but I think it would have been sometime in the early spring when the following event happened.

For my birthday that year I was given a cowboy outfit. I mean it had it all. The fringe chaps, cowboy hat, vest and a gun belt outfitted with two shiny six shooter cap guns.  One day, I heard Black Bart was in town, so I geared up and proceeded to head out the door to take Bart on face to face. As I headed down towards the four-lane road and accompanying intersection all I could think about was my enemy and how he would pay for all the bad things he had done. Well, I reached the intersection waited for the walk light and made my way into the middle of the street.

Once I had my tactical position, I drew my guns and started taking care of the enemy one by one. First, on that side of the street and then on the other. Boy did Bart had a lot of friends and they just kept coming stagecoach after stagecoach or in this case cars. I did find my way back home but only after the sheriff (A concerned citizen) found me.

So, what’s my point to all of this? Boy if any of those things happened in today’s climate, I would have been in CPS custody and my mom would probably be up on child endangerment charges. Even though NONE of it was her fault. Was she a bad mom? Absolutely not! Was I a bad kid? No. But show me one kid that was perfect. I am betting there were those that were mild compared to me and I bet there are those that were way worse. Which one were you? Did you think it made any difference to your mother if you were worse or better than the kids in the neighborhood. Most likely not because I am willing to bet the things most important to her started with her kids. I am also betting that your mom would have done anything for you and your safety. That is if she knew what you were up to.

So, this Mother’s Day I urge you to HUG and HOLD your mom. Let her know how much you appreciate all the things she did for you your entire life. Not just when you were a kid. As you can see, she most likely put up with a lot from you and she deserves your appreciation, acknowledgment, and kind gestures.

Special note: I understand there are those that will read this that may no-longer have a mother or maybe their mom was not a very good mother to being with. I did not write this to with the intention of stirring up those feelings or memories in some people. I am not being insensitive to their situation. Just like there are many different kinds or kids and people in this world, there were many kinds of moms. Some good and some not so good. If your mom is one of the aforementioned and I stirred up some emotion or put you in a bad place because of this piece. I wholeheartedly apologize.

So now that we have decided that your mom is the most awesome, stupendous, loving mother the world has ever known how can you show here your appreciation? If coming up with ideas is difficult for you (just like it is for me) then maybe I can help you. I might even come up with a few ideas I can use as I write this. :)

1. Put some effort into it. Don’t wait until the last minute.
2. Search the web. Have you noticed, everything you could possibly want an answer to be is on the web? Simply type in “ideas for Mother’s Day”.
3. Dinner at her favorite restaurant.
4. A spa day for her and maybe you too.
5. Send her text messages daily. This can be words of encouragement, affirmations or just a simple I love you.
6. A weeklong day of giving. Where you give her a small gift or token every day for a week leading up to Mother’s Day.
7. Book her a weekend trip somewhere she likes or loves.
8. Throw her a party.
9. Make the day ALL ABOUT HER!
10. Make her dinner, lunch and/or breakfast.

Okay, so you decided from the list above that you want to make your mom dinner. What a great Idea and we can help! This is the Uncle Dan’s “Make it Fresh” newsletter after all. Here is a couple of my all-time favorites.

For breakfast or lunch try the Uncle Dan’s Bacon Avocado Ranch options sandwich.

For a main dish try this all-time customer favorite Bistecca Italian Style Steak Recipe by professional chef and restaurateur, Angelo Brunson – Angelo’s Ristorante, Coeur d’Alene (Core-D-lane), ID.

This month's featured items:

Original Southern Classic Ranch – Our original product. Made famous by over 50 years of Mom’s in the inland Northwest and throughout Canada. If I have said it once I have said it a thousand times. “If you were born and raised in the Northwest you probably grew up on Uncle Dan’s. Uncle Dan’s Original Southern dressing mix has been a staple in Northwest kitchens for over 5 decades.

Not from the Northwest. Find out what you have been missing. CLICK HERE.

Italian dressing and seasoning – If you don’t love Italian seasonings then, you have no idea what you are missing. Like all our products Italian is made fresh by you with your ingredients. Italian has a very balanced flavor profile so it will go well with but not overpower your dish. It works very well as a meat marinade. Product has limited availability in Canada and is not available on store shelves in the USA.

Or find our Italian Seasoning HERE.

Did you know that our Ranch was the first Ranch on any store shelf anywhere? Thank you Safeway! We are still there today. You can also find us in Kroger, Fred Meyer, Albertsons’s, Winco, Walmart and countless independents.