Winter Hygge
It’s been cold. Really cold for those of us (me and my husband) who’ve lived by the beach in Southern California for a long time. The temperature has been hovering around the freezing points, and the little bit of snow that fell over the last week turned into ice on the road. So I’ve been pretty much staying home for the last week or so. I’m very much aware of my fortune and privilege that my house stays fairly warm with the thermostat set for 66 to 67 degrees. Once we make a fire in the fireplace, our living room gets toasty. Meawhile quite a few friends in the mountain community live in cold houses mostly because the homes are old without sufficient insulation and/or very inefficient heating systems.
As a green home specialist, I’ve been talking about how homeowners can get energy efficiency upgrades with the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). If you qualify, you can get space heating/cooling, electric cooktop, clothe dryer, heat pump water heater, insulation and ventilations at 50~100% discount as a part of IRA rebate program. Unfortunately, the rebate program is still being set up in California, and those who could benefit from the program would have to make it through this winter, but hopefully we’ll get some homes comfortable by next winter. (If you want to know about this, please reach out to me.)
During times like this, we like having friends over for no particular reason than just to hang out and be cozy by the fire, sharing food, watching movies, or just chatting. It reminds me of the Danish word, “hygge (hoo-ga).” It means “creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people.” (Source: visitdenmark.com) I’m sure there’s so many more layers to the word, but I love the feeling this concept evokes.
This is one thing I love about this community. Mainly because we don’t have too many places to go to entertain ourselves, especially when the roads are treacherous, we often gather with friends for no special reason. I think that’s the spirit of hygge. As it’s been proven, having a community of friends is an essential part of our wellbeing. It is nourishing for our souls. And of course, I’m grateful that I do get to hygge as often as I do.