Ventilate, Ventilate And Ventilate...

One of the joys of living in the Northern Hemisphere!

Whatever happened to the rallying mantra issued by Beauty Queens throughout the ages Moisturize, moisturize and moisturize some more ? A much more pleasant way to control the humidity for our skin.

Winter is magical, pure and exciting except for that little know detail of having to ventilate your home. Well, our home is not some new age automated ventilated abode but one where the art of manual ventilating is still practiced. Twice a day is the norm and often against all odds I adhere to it.

Most houses are nice and cozy inside but open a window or step outside and you instantly get to understand how cold winter actually feels. Freezing and that is with just one window open a tad bit. A dropped parental hint ( or more of a stricture ) was mentioned when we first moved in:

" It is imperative that you open all and every window for at least 10 minutes twice a day. If you don't, your house will have humidity problems and get mould."

Let me tell you, that the odds I had to overcome where the constant shouts of:

" Are you crazy? Shut the window. It's bloody freezing outside."
" Shut the windows, you letting all the mosquitoes in! "

in a way it is understandable for both of us to worry about the cold. Southerners are a bit more thin skinned and feel the cold ever so quickly.

The first two years we have been diligent with the ventilating ( by the way, it should be done all year round ) with some lapses when the odds carried favour. Some winter days it was too cold and some summer days there were too many mosquitoes...

Our area has been inundated with rain this last year making the ground soaked. Moisture is everywhere and alas, a smidgen of mould has made itself felt. When Bob saw and smelt it, he changed his mantra of :

" Shut the windows please, to ... ventilate, ventilate but for goodness sake hurry up already."

Life in our house is never boring and always entertaining...

Biggi