The permaculture of domesticity

Sharon at Casaubon's Book recently had a wonderful post with some thoughts on managing domestic tasks more efficiently. I generally dislike reading "household hints" type articles because they tend to offer solutions that are too specific, or irrelevant, delivered in a perky, know-it-all tone. However, Sharon, who almost has a Ph.D, takes the art of homemaking to a new intellectual level, and does so with eloquence and humor.

Permaculture can be defined as a design system for creating sustainable habitats by following nature's patterns; it stresses minimizing inputs and integrating elements to create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. The idea was originally developed in relation to agricultural systems, but I can definitely see the applicability to running a household. Check out Sharon's philosophical framework for domestic permaculture.

I hope there's a Part 3 on the way!