By: Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com   For many years, my brother John Jr. and sister-in-law Jane hosted an open house on New Year’s Eve. It started around 8 p.m. and people could stop in at whatever time they pleased, mingle for awhile and leave, or stay for the countdown to midnight.   In that it was New England and winter, it was not unusual for snow to be on the ground with temperatures of 32 degrees or below. Guests would scurry from their cars to the side door of the house where stood either my brother or sister-in-law to greet each arrival into the warmth of their home.   By 10:00 p.m., the driveway was filled with parked vehicles. On those snowy nights, occasionally John or one of…