My Mama's Sunny Little Home in the Woods

Once my brother and I no longer lived at home, my mom downsized. She made a new spot in the woods in a smaller home on a smaller piece of land. I love walking inside and seeing the yellow walls and happy details. It's like getting a huge warm hug. She has always loved compact homes, and she's made the most of every inch of this one. It's a home sweet home she can truly call her own. ⬆ Glass Insulators that once sat atop telephone poles.⬇ Little cactus plants sit on a ledge with stained glass that my grandfather made. There is a low bar in the kitchen that serves as her permanent workspace for crafts and projects! ⬆ Kiki. ⬇ Me and Hercules.

My mom is learning to play the dulcimer. She got an inexpensive dulcimer to learn on, but it was so lightweight that it wouldn't stay in her lap, so she added the glass bubbles on the side. The glass solved the problem and also changed the sound a bit, but she likes the way it sounds.
⬆ A Bee House my mom and her friend made. Apparently, if there are plenty of flowers nearby, bees will stay close to where they are hatched for their whole life. So if you hang one or two of these near your garden, bees will settle down in the holes and hatch their eggs. You will then have plenty of bees to pollinate your garden! Amazing!

⬆ This is a Bird Roost they made from a huge gourd she grew. Several birds of different species will roost together inside in the winter to stay warm.
⬇ Another bee house. Cactus plants are all over the place. Some of these started as tiny plants from the greenhouse at The University of North Carolina, Charlotte.