As the heat starts to build, I want to keep the house in its pristine, un-air-conditioned state. I’ve already closed the windows, trapping the cool morning air. I know the place will heat up as the day moves along. I hope that it’s bearable. If it isn’t, I’ll flip the switch — and be glad I have a switch to flip.

In the old days, when we first moved here, we prided ourselves on not using the AC. I’m afraid we were obnoxious about it, entertaining guests in a sweltering living room that we could have cooled if only we’d hadn’t been on our high horse.

My current approach to heat management is less draconian. But it is an acknowledgment that summer is warm and heat can be handled as many handle it around the world. Being more active in the morning, more sedentary in the afternoon. Being attuned to hourly fluctuations. Not super-chilling a house which then becomes a trap, because when a house is 72, 92 seems unbearable.

Being caught in a British heat wave reminds me how fortunate we are to have central air-conditioning, and when the heat and humidity reach intolerable levels, I won’t hesitate to use it. But I’m going to try and keep things natural as long as I can.