Happy Belated Valentine’s Day!  I hope you had a delightful one.  Despite the long, dark days of winter, February has been full of fun surprises around here.  We are now in our second year at the self-portrait collaborative She is Three, and earlier this month, we were featured in a post at Mortal Muses!  You can read the aticle here.  Then, on February 10th, I turned 40!  My husband orchestrated a lovely surprise get-together that I never even suspected.  Long ago, I imagined I would feel old when I turned 40, but that isn’t the case at all.  I’m just now getting to know myself.  I know that art makes me happier than academics ever did.  I know that being a mother is a beautiful gift, even during the most challenging moments.  I know that sometimes love isn’t easy, but it always wins.  You just have to open the door and let it in. When I took this photo of our front door, I couldn’t help but be reminded…