Most people associate Valentine’s Day with hearts, flowers, romance and candy.  Spouses go out of their way to be a little kinder.  Children exchange cute little valentines.  Little girls giggle as they try to detect any hidden meaning behind the Daffy Duck card that reads “I’d be lucky if you would be my ducky” card they got from the boy they think is cute.  Boys make googly eyes at the girl who gave them two pieces of candy instead of the one they gave all the other boys.  Restaurants advertise special dinners and couples are seen all over town holding hands and generally displaying boatloads of lovey dovey behavior.
My husband is not the romantic sort in general.  I remember one year he did order me a dozen roses unbeknownst to me.  I came home from work that day and he met me at the door with this huge cat at the canary grin asking me how was my day.  I just shrugged and responded, “Okay, I guess.”  The flower shop did not deliver my roses, leaving us both a little disappointed and driving back into town to pick them up.  Personally I have never been a fan of flowers of the cut variety anyway.  Now buy me a tree or a flowering bush for my garden and you will see me doing a happy dance.
We usually spend Valentine’s Day at home with the kids doing nothing more exciting than watching a movie.  I am absolutely not complaining.  This is totally fine with me, especially if someone else cleans up after supper as a special treat for mom or heaven rain down upon my head actually cook the supper.
Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be spirited away on a hot air balloon ride being serenaded by Frank Sinatra while being dipped low and kissed in a gesture worthy of Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara.  Maybe I am too practical in nature as I start thinking about how cold it would be up in that hot air balloon, how crowded it would be with Frank along for the ride and the very real possibility I would trip and fall out of said balloon as Jay was attempting to dip me and kiss me. Of course this would all be caught on film and I would wind up on television or in the paper displaying the tragic Valentine’s Day events for all to see.
Valentines Day cards, however, are another matter entirely.  I love the homemade cards I have received over the years from kids.  They have varied over the years with the kids’ ages. Some have had candy hearts attached in no less than a quarter cup of Elmer’s Glue.  Sometimes they have drawings or doilies taped on.  Some have messages, some just a signature.  No matter what they have looked like or said over the years, the meaning is always the same - “Mom, I love you.”
I happen to be searching the Frazee-Vergas Forum web site recently for an article about the car show last summer and stumbled on a very old 2000 article where the kids wrote in how to make a turkey.  Tyler’s recipe popped up.  For our family, unfortunately Valentine’s Day now means the devastating anniversary of Tyler’s passing.  Some day this might mean celebrating the 18 years of happiness we were blessed with, but right now it still means missing the years we will never have.
When I stumbled upon this article, I felt like it was Tyler’s Valentine Card from heaven.  It was quite unexpected and made me laugh and wish he was here so I could give him grief.  It might be minus the candy hearts, dollies and stick figures, but it is by far the most touching Valentine’s Day card he has ever sent me.    

By Tyler Shipman
1. first 1 cup of rice put in oven 900 F
2. Get a Turkey. “put in oven” 900 F
3. When rice is done put rice in Turkey.
4. When Turkey is done but on plate.
5. Get 2 cups of Beef stew
6. Find some pato’s.
7. Then put some very Hot water on.
8. Then put patos in.
9. When done take out.
10. Get some cream.
11. Then get a can with a lide.
12. Then put cream in can.
13. Shake up the can with cream in it.
14. Then get one kind of vegetable.
15 Cook in oven then when done take out.
16. put on a plat.
17. get silerwar out on table.
18 Get some candles.
19. Call all the people
20. Make shore you have leftovers