I hope you and your family have sources of warmth and joy surrounding you this new year. My family and I are new to this area - like "from North Carolina summer of 2019" new - and we are finding the cooler environment more than made up for by the warm hearts and supportive voices in our neighbors and new friends in this community.

All this change, combined with a new year, provides ample opportunity to develop new habits. Some are specific to our new setting here in the northern climes. In the past, we didn't take off our shoes before entering a home. Now, we not only have a pair of Sorel s...