The wicked-witch-cold, stone-sky months are coming in, and turning the calendar page can be a bit psychologically depressing. Here, a few tips and tricks for making it through to spring.

There’s a letter in a box in a garage in Sedona that may one day soon find its way to the Montauk Point Lighthouse Museum and, if and when it does, it will tie together disparate historical strands of a long-ago romantic tale involving a man, a woman, a horse-drawn sleigh, and a wild ride through the snow from Montauk to East Hampton.

A shopping list of party essentials, for a kick-up-your-heels New Year's Eve.

Successful hosting involves careful preparation, lovingkindness, and making your guests feel welcome but disinclined to return. Spencer L. Schneider helps you to thread that needle.