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December brings us into a bountiful Persimmon season here at Homestead Albania. And this year we are trying a new preservation method of drying persimmons. It's very popular in Japan and we have watched a few tutorials on how to pick the ideal persimmon, peel, hang and dry the beautiful fruits. We'll document the drying process and our storage of the fruits. In the previous years, we have picked the firm persimmons, wiped each fruit with raki and stored them in a plastic bag in a cool, dark place for a week to rid the sweet honey fruits of tannins. The remain crisp and sweet using this method. The other is waiting until the fruit is soft on on the tree. It's great for baking. And we usually ferment a barrel of persimmons for raki to be brewed in the spring. We've had only a few blue sky days in between our soggy, grey days. Enjoy the glimpse of the snow capped mountains and garden on a pretty day.

Independence for Albania has been an on and off again state of mind since the dark ages. In the 2nd century the Illyrians were conquered by the Romans, and from the end of the 4th century they were ruled by the Byzantine Empire. After suffering centuries of invasion by Visigoths, Huns, Bulgars, and Slavs, the Albanians were finally conquered by the Ottoman Turks in the 15th century. But they did break free from the Ottoman Empire in 1912 and established as an independent nation is celebrated on November 28th, as flag day. On November 28, 1443, National Hero Gjergj Kastrioti Skenderbeg raised the flag in Kruja Castle. Every city has its own Liberation Day. The liberation of Shkodra and the entire country was on November 29th, 1944. Some cities celebrate on 28 and some on 29. There are commemoration wreath-laying ceremonies at the cemeteries of the martyrs in every city and usually concerts. Weather this time of year can be a bit damp and this year is no exception. It's poured the last few days limiting outdoor festivities but it is also the week before another traditional holiday celebrated here in Albania. Saint Nicholas is known as Shen’Kollë by most Catholic families, even those from villages that are devoted to other saints, here in Bajze they also celebrate Saint Marks in April. The Feast of Saint Nicholas is celebrated on the eve of December 5th, known as Shen’Kolli i Dimnit (Saint Nicholas of Winter). On the eve of his feast day, some Albanians will light a candle and abstain from meat, preparing a feast of roasted lamb and pork, to be served to guests after midnight. Guests will greet each other, saying, “Nata e Shen’Kollit ju nihmoftë!” (“May the Night of Saint Nicholas help you!”) and other such blessings. The full tale of St. Nik is shared in Art's book Northern Albanian Folk Tales, Myths and Legends

We wrapped up our raki brewing season with an additional seventy liters from our grape harvest. Art has really mastered the art of raki. I help tend the fire but really it is his operation. After three years, we have racked up quite the collection of raki from our garden and vineyard. Side note*I may have to invest in wood working tools for Art.* We have made raki from our grapes post wine, mulberries, persimmons, and cornelius cherries. We have also had other family bring us raki made from plums and cherries. Why so much booze? Tradition. Albanian's use raki as a gesture of hospitality. When a person walks inside an Albanian home for a visit. A small glass with raki is poured and set in front of them. Along with an assortment of other beverages followed by fruits, nuts and eventually a round of food. It's served at all major life events including weddings, births, and funerals. So do we drink it everyday, no, but we always have plenty on hand. Is this common in homes here? Maybe not as much or the assortment but a bottle of raki is a staple in pretty much every household. Where can I buy it? The local stores have it for sale but if you are outside of Albania you have to get a little more creative when on your hunt for it. Check local international wine and liquor stores or the next closest product to it is grappa, Italy's version of raki made from the grape skins. We have not applied for a license to ship our wine or raki, YET. It's on our list. Garden Update. Quince and persimmons are ripe and ready to eat. Enjoyed both in the last few days. The garlic and onion we planted for the spring have all popped up. I picked the last two green apples today and the cabbage, lettuce greens, spinach, and leeks are still coming along nicely. Art transplanted over twenty trees to fill in the back half of the garden. We had several plum, walnut, avocado, passion fruit, pear and pomegranate trees that were growing at random spots in the garden and vineyard. In a few years that section of the garden will be full of delicious fruits and nuts! We're officially in the chilly evening section of fall. The second the sun goes down it's a race to get inside. Which means we have had to set limits on couch potato time. No streaming until after seven. This also means we drink hot mountain tea or pomegranate tea every night and I am smashing out a new standalone novel that is a small town mystery. Hope to have it ready for spring. And I had a bit of busy week. I published the third book in the Ember in Time Series, Protectors of Time. Plus received my first official press as an author. Cheers to a productive week.

I, Kim, spent nearly two months stateside visiting friends, family and completing a small book tour. Meanwhile Art kept the homestead up and running. He managed our fig trees collecting, sun drying and canning several hundred figs. His green thumb in the garden planting additional garlic, onion, cabbage, and salad greens. We're still producing melons and tomatoes from the summer garden. He made a round of thana (cornelius cherry) raki and collected the kimchi (jujube). Our bounty of grapes has over succeeded all expectations. Art managed two rounds of picking and crushing grapes before I returned. He pulled over 250 liters of wine and a fair amount of mushti (sparkling grape juice) from the first round of collection. I arrived in time to help with the third and final round of hand picking and crushing 700 liters of grapes sealed to ferment for the next few weeks. And plenty of grapes left on the vines to eat and enjoy. We also secured three oak barrels for 170 liters of wine along with the glass decanters we use to store before bottling. And that isn't all. It is officially pomegranate season here. And we have already started collecting, juicing and freezing bottles for the winter and spring. And olive season. Art climbed the ladder and picked each olive. They are soaking now. So what's next here at Homestead Albania. Well we have quince and persimmon fruits still ripening. A few green apples to pick and the bounty of cabbage to enjoy. We ordered several pomegranate trees to replace the few that did not take in the orchard and also ordered blueberry bushes to plant. And book three in the Ember in Time Series will be released in November. Cheers my fellow humans. Stay safe and stay well.

And then there were five. We had six baby chicks until our big pig got a hold of one. RIP little buddy. On a less sad note. Art collected the rest of the thana for raki and made a small batch of thana (Cornelius Cherry) syrup. One batch with sugar and another without for medicinal purposes. It is believed that this berry-like fruit is perfect for preventing common cold and flu, as it contains elevated levels of vitamin C, which is a very powerful natural antiviral, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agent. It was a messy process. Huge shout out to my sister in law for helping Art and his mom make the batch. Thanks Duda! Art was also able to collect and juice a few shegas (pomegranates) from our garden. And manage to collect and dry more figs. He's been very very busy! And it's nearly vine to wine season. We have two rows of grapes that ripen in early September. Art pulled the grapes and ran them through the crusher to make mushti (grape juice with a kick). He collected five gallons worth after two days and bottled it. We freeze the mushti and take out when we are craving a little more grape in our life. It will be another month or so before we the other rows of grapes ripen and we can pull for wine and raki. Hopefully I will return to harvest this years bounty. The weather in September immediately cooled off mid day temps are in the mid-80s and the nights are cooler. If you are ever considering a trip over across the pond I can't recommend the fall enough. The figs, the grapes, the pomegranates, the weather and fall colors!!! I am heading to Missouri today to visit family after more than 2.5 years across the pond. Super excited to squeeze them all. And I will be kicking off my first book signing event this weekend in Springfield. I have three events booked. Fingers crossed they can all go on with an uprise in cases, I am weary, but optimistic. Stay safe and well my friends. And a few I hope to see very soon.

Mmm...Figs! The first round of figs have arrived and are honey sweet. Grapes are turning pretty quick and with the heat it's happening rapidly. The garden continues to produce nearly daily. The well water is a huge blessing for the garden and the vines this season with a relentless heat wave of over 100 degrees on more days then not. Our new plum trees had a few plums come to full ripe. We hope next year to have enough for a few rounds of jam. The orchard is surviving the blistering heat. Art has been meticulous watering the trees and we have lost a few to poor roots but overall the majority are holding on. Next year we may even have enough fruits to test. We stocked up on glass jugs and new corks this week for wine and more raki. And hand harvested the thana's to start fermenting a batch for raki. This will take about two months before we still the fruit for a batch of raki. Making the most of the hot days inside. I have nearly completed the first draft of the third book in the Ember in Time series. How do you spend the hot summer days?

Here at Homestead Albania we produce 48 varieties of fruits, too pick one over the others is hard. But the figs are the ones that rarely disappoint and we have so many. We are just entering Fig season and this year may be our best to date. We have five varieties of figs on the property and eleven mature fig trees that are full and healthy this year. We have several others that are grafted and some second year trees so this number will likely grow again in the years to come. We have Adriatrc figs, these pale green to pale yellow figs are sometimes called "white figs" for their light color, and in bright sunshine, they really can take on a white-ish hue. You may also see them sold as "candy-striped figs," so named when their exteriors are pale green-and-white striped. Pretty as they are on the outside, it's their bright pink to brilliant red insides that win all the attention and provide their extra-sweet-even-for-figs flavor. Adriatic figs are harvested in June and again in August. Their super-sweet nature means they work particularly well as a simple fruit dessert all on their own. We also have brown turkey figs. They have brownish-dark purple skin, a milder flavor than other figs, and are noticeably less sweet than the similar-looking Black Mission figs. Inside, they tend to be a paler pink than other figs. Brown Turkey figs work well in salads, where their lighter sweetness is a welcome contrast, or in desserts where an additional sweetener will be used. If all you have are Brown Turkeys and you want dessert, drizzle them with honey and run them under the broiler for a moment until the sizzle and bubble, or use them to make And we have one small black mission fig tree. They are extremely sweet (sometimes they even ooze a bit of syrup, which you should take as a very good sign when picking or buying them). Despite their name, they aren't really black—more of a deep blue-purple that is gorgeous in its own right. Inside they are beautifully pink. Their dark exteriors make any wilted or puckering from being less-than-fresh quite obvious, making it all the easier to find perfectly ripe specimens. Their insane sweetness makes them perfect for serving plain or with yogurt or tangy fresh cheese We have a seedless variety that will produce this year for the first time here. I will be sure to post a picture of that once it ripens. Last year we made several jars of fig jam, sun-dried several hundred figs, and froze about ten quart size bags of whole figs. This year we will be drying more and storing for winter. What is favorite fig inspired dish? In other updates, we finished the latest harvest of our pears. Shared three hefty bags with the neighbors but still have loads to manage. Thinking about pear jam, whole slice preserves, pear butter or freeze. I am sure there will be several crumbles or smoothies made along the way. And in the garden we have reached a peak. We have to a mountains of picking nearly every days of tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, beans, okra, squash, carrots, melons and watermelons. We pulled the potatoes and are prepping the garden for leeks and cabbage. And the vineyard my dears is starting to ripen! Wine season should be fabulous! And in the next two weeks we will collect the thanas (Cornelius cherries) for fermentation for raki. Our little homestead has had a bit of heat wave with more than a week of 100-105 F days. Our outside adventures are on pause which is good because I have been able to write most of the third book in the Ember in Time Series. Sneak peak of that coming soon. Happy August and stay cool my friends.

One amazing benefit to living in northern Albania is the ability to take a day trip to the Albanian Alps. We did this twice in three days. Why? Because of the beauty... And because it's hot in the valley and it's cooler in the mountains. Added bonus some extended family was staying a few nights at cute little place called Peraj Guesthouse. They have room for campers, camping vans, and these four cute cabins with modern bathrooms. The food served is farm to table fresh and delicious. We hiked north from here following the road to a trailhead. And the views never disappoint. The remains of one homestead was the home of a seven foot tall man who protected the valley of Vermosh from the Ottoman Empire. And he touted as is the reason the tip of Albania remained part of the country. And it wouldn't be an Albanian hike with out a little bunker action! You really can't hike here with out spotting one. On the trails... In July it's a little brown but we have been here a few times over several season. Art's favorite hike... Early fall.. And in February... The road to Vermosh is in part inspiration for a scenes in the latest book Recover or Yield. Even the signs pointing to the locations noted in the book. And I even wrote a few chapters on this trip so you will have to stay tuned for the third book in the Ember in Time series coming later this year.

Summer kicked in with a major heat wave. We had three days over 100° F and more in the forecast. Is this our usual summer days? No, not quite. We are usually topped out at 95 and sunny everyday but there are more triple digit days in the ten day forecast. Watering the garden has become an evening ritual. And our veggie rations have reached near overwhelming status. The squash and zucchini alone could feed a village. So far we have grilled, fried, baked, and made pizza crust with a the bounty. The peppers, cucumbers, potatoes, green lettuce, carrots, yellow romano beans, strawberries, blueberries, and fresh basil are picked and prepared almost daily. We are pulling the fresh garlic and onions as needed. So that's just in the garden. On to the rest of the property. We have four giant mulberry trees still in season along with our spring pears and figs. And that's just what's primed for picking now. In the next few weeks will we have okra, eggplants, watermelon, cantaloupes, blackberries and plums plus more the above. Hungry yet? So with added watering and irrigation this year means the additional weeding is required. The triple digit weather has restrained this until late evening hours. I started weeding the tomatoes around seven the other night and finished around nine when the mosquitos were out and the sunlight was beyond gone. Fun times! The vines have tripled in the last few weeks. Check it out! June 1st and June 27 Other projects started includes two hammock stands and two well covers. Art is becoming quite the welder. Now we can move the hammocks to any part of the vineyard. Orchard is surviving the start of the hot summer season. The shade the vine trellis has provided is a great spot in the late afternoon to retreat and recharge after writing all day. Speaking of writing. I've started the third book in the Ember in Time series and a standalone mystery set back home in Missouri. Inspiration is a funny thing. A seed of story starts and grows, matures, wilts and then comes back to life much like our homestead. We have added the following books and journals to our publishing catalog in the last two years. Stay cool my friends!

We have officially started to reap the rewards of the garden. Sure we had salad greens, spinach, and strawberries earlier but now the squash and cucumbers are ready in regular intervals. Tomatoes, carrots, beans, and peppers are nearly ready. The potatoes are almost ready to pull. Melons, eggplants, okra, blueberries, and blackberries are still coming in. The progression from March to June is always incredible for me the non gardener of the family. We had ample rain this spring which has assisted with the production. What is in your garden? Our fruit trees are full of bounty. The four large mulberries are ripe and we are picking. The spring pears are big and beautiful. What's up next? Figs and plums. The quince, apples, kiwis, pomegranates, persimmons, and Cornelius cherries are still very much work in progress. The pomegranate orchard has shown signs of life but there are several trees that haven't caught yet or may be dead and will need to be replaces but overall it's going strong. We have installed the irrigation and have enough pressure to water half of the orchard at a time for a few hours using the second well. We also planted some squash and melons in the loose soil next to the new trees near the house and have already collected some squash. And the vineyard!! We completed all the vine clean up which basically removes the lower leaves and lighten the load on overcrowded areas. It has really taken shape and the grapes nearly doubled in size since last week. And we installed a new hammock to take advantage of the shade. March vs May vs June Two weeks growth left to right. We celebrated Art's birthday with a coffee down by the lake and he tested out the new hammock. Cheers to homestead life.

MULBERRIES! This is Juliet.. And Romeo That's all.

I recently added author to my credentials. This prompted a question by an old associate over LinkedIn. How many careers have you had? I laughed a little because I haven't really had that many just a big swing with each transition. Not to bore you with a resume but a quick summary. I worked in patient care for nearly decade and then transitioned to eight years in the IT world but still related to healthcare. Along the way, I picked up a real estate and massage therapy license. I moved to New Zealand for work (Health IT) and then at 36 packed it all up. My choice to retire and move to a beautiful small corner in northern Albania to live on vineyard and homestead that has been in my husband's family for ten generations. So in 20 years I have had two careers per se, two side hustles and then retiring to make wine, grow my own food, explore, photograph and write. What does retirement before 40 mean? For me, a choice to live a life that is full of experience and less about consumption of things. We did save and made investments to prep for this transition. It also helps that the cost of living is really low here. It's my just me, my husband and his mother is now with us after the passing of his father. We currently have four hens, four pigs, a dog, a pomegranate orchard, vineyard, and garden full of fruit, nuts, and veggies. My author career came with free time and one really hot summer that forced me inside. I am not the best idle person so I started documenting the homestead with photographs, the drone and writing. My husband to wrote a book about the myths and legends here in Albania. We completed that project last February. --> After learning the art of publishing I took my chance and wrote a novel idea inspired by my exploration of this beautiful country. <-- On June 1, I will be publishing my second book Recover or Yield in the Ember in Time Series, an urban mythology adventure fantasy. Am I still retired? Technically, yes because this is not a profit adventure. It is an investment of my time and creativity to share with others. What does retirement mean to you?

We started off May with a bit of a cloudy day and rain shower but the warmer temperatures are here to stay. And with the blessings of a rainy spring thus far our garden, vineyard and orchard are thriving. In the garden, we have planted the following: spinach, cucumbers, onions, garlic, lettuce, peppers, strawberries, blueberries, mint, eggplants, tomatoes, beans, zucchini, watermelon, cantaloupe, peas, and potatoes. We have starters for more spinach, asparagus, celery, carrots and melons. The pomegranate orchard is progressing nicely with a new well that produces enough water to feed our beautiful baby trees. Art has been busy installing the irrigation lines with valves and nozzles for each row. The grass is officially beyond knee high which means a lot of reaping with the scythe in my future. Bobi, the puppy has grown and found his growl and bark. We have two new additions here as well. I've spent the better part of the month editing and prepping the novel Recover or Yield, book two in the Ember in Time series. Official release will be June 1, 2021. Final Cover: Blurb: Danae and her brother Leon, descendants of Zeus, are thrust into a world they barely understand. A new responsibility to protect and serve the goddess Ember and the Castle of Teskom after Danae’s husband, Itra, a descendant of Mui, family failed to protect the castle from an attack lead by Poseidon and Medusa. Their first assignment, finding and retrieving a stolen artifact to restore the barrier that hides the castle from each dimension. An adventure that leads them deep underground and high above the mountains alongside a few familiar and new faces. The clock is ticking. Will they restore order or create more chaos? eBook, Paperback and Hardback versions will be published June 1, 2021. The eBook is available for pre-order on Amazon today. Our collection of book babies:

March came in with magical spring blooms popping up in nearly every corner of the garden, blue skies and loads of sunshine. We finished the water well and we only get about an hour of water three times a day which will be fine for the garden but not the entire orchard. Speaking of orchard, we have prepped 789 holes, ordered 800 pomegranate trees (400 Wonderful, 200 Davedishe, 200 Hicanzar) and rain is in the forecast for this weekend. I expect that the four walnut, four almond, four aroma pomegranate, and two olive trees we planted in the last few days in our garden this week were just the warm up. The field is prepped with a organic manure from local homesteads in each hole. But in all honesty the field looks like a giant game of whack a mole I used to play as a kid at Chucky Cheese. Do you see the resemblance? Our vegetable garden and the vine maintenance are about three weeks behind compared to last year due to a very soggy winter. We will spend the next few weeks with long days outside moving from one project to another. And time training Bobi, a black lab puppy and new addition to our homestead. We are still fermenting persimmons for a spring batch of raki. What kind of raki have you tried? In publishing news, Recover or Yield, the second novel in the Ember in Time Series is about a quarter of the way drafted. During the rainy days ahead I hope to squeeze in a large chunk of writing. I have completed the art for the cover. What do you think? Cheers to more crazy adventures and SPRING!

After a very wet, dark and cold winter, we welcome the warmer temperatures creeping up to sunny temperatures in mid 60°F/20°C. March had a cold snap and rain we haven't experienced before. Our project pomegranate is nearly complete. We will install a drip irrigation system by June but otherwise the trees are in the ground, the soil properly saturated with water and the ground around tree is fluffed and mounded. Art has moved on to a welding project. He is installing new supports to trellis the vines that need more space and support. Eventually, we plan to have do this in most sections including the driveway. Our garden is taking small steps to a reality. Garlic and onion planted only a few weeks ago are popping up and this year we planted 9 rows of potatoes. More veggies coming soon since the night temperatures seem to be heading out of freezing or below. The fruit trees are off to great start! We did take a time out to celebrate my birthday. It was a cool windy day, so I opted for snow and mountains. We drove up to Boge, a small valley town between two high peaks. We had plans to make it up to Theth to have a late lunch but mother nature had other plans. The corner just before the switchbacks was covered. After a few kind souls hopped out we were able to turn our little Jetta around. We had dinner in Razma, a cute mountain village, at the Golden Tower. A small lodge with a cozy restaurant, including a beautiful fireplace. We nearly had the entire place to ourselves. After reflecting on my *cough* 39 years, my long term goals always had an age associated. Create more than one income stream by 30, pay off student loans by 35, live and work abroad by 40, all of which were completed ahead of schedule. So cheers to new ageless goals in no particular order of importance: Install a long lap pool in between two rows of vines. (Art is on board) Finish and publish the Ember in Time Series. Book two first draft complete. Expecting four maybe five to complete the series. Create a guest space on property. Design and build an outdoor kitchen. Cheers my dear humans!

Ladies and Gentlemen we've struck oil, nah just kidding only water. The installation of a new well process has had it's share of unforgiving weather with rain soak filled days, equipment failure, and stuck pipes delaying the project's completion. Last week, they found a water pocket around 150 meters, but not enough to supply the garden and orchard so they went further. Another pocket of water hit around 220 meters. To be on the safe side they went another thirty meters. Why am I telling you this? Most wells in our area tend to be 100-150 meters max. So we are near middle Earth status or at the spring streams feeding the lake nearby. Guessing, the mirror I broke two weeks ago didn't help. Benefits of digging a well: 1. The massive mud pit it creates would supply a nice arena for mud wrestling. Who's up for it? 2. Hopefully enough water to keep and maintain our garden, vineyard and soon to be orchard for our long dry summers. 3. Empty wallet syndrome In other news. Art started pruning the trees and vines over the last two weeks. We have another cold front coming so this will be on pause until the weather improves. We are fermenting the last of the persimmons for spring raki brewing. And our thana (cornelius cherry) trees are starting blossom. A first hint of spring in the garden after a long wet winter. We have two new additions. Meet Gigi and Juju. And I got mail! I ordered two paperback copies of my book the Castle of Teskom and they arrived a few days ago. It's surreal holding a copy. I know it's been out for months but after see and touching it all feels very very real. If you have read the book and are interested in book two I plan to release the title and some concept cover art later this month. Finally joining the ranks with Art! If you have purchased either book, THANK YOU! And if you have read either book please take a few minutes to post a review on Amazon, Goodreads or Barnes and Noble. It helps to have some reviews (even if they aren't all five stars). The books we donated to the school libraries are still sitting in boxes awaiting new shelves. We hope to visit and assist the schools with stocking and cataloging the books soon. Hope all is well in your corner of the world.

We started off this year planning for the new pomegranate orchard and the first phase includes a well. Why do we need a well? From May to September we are usually in near drought conditions. Our first summer we barely had no rain just a short passing thunderstorm. The second summer included a few showers but nothing substantial. Great for the vines but hard on the garden and new trees. Why can't we just rely on the city water? Well the entire region is full of little homesteads and if we used the city water for all of our fields, the taps would essentially run dry. Art did what anyone does when selecting a new service or starting a new project. Research. The average depth of wells in the area are approximately 100 meters. The average price per meter was $70. We know from just digging and planting our garden the last two years that the bedrock under our land is pretty thick. We are estimating it will be closer to the 80-100 meter mark based on the neighboring wells. That sticker price was a shock because that doesn't include the pump, pipes and power to run the well. Insert big gulp. Regardless of sticker shock, we know that it is going to be necessary. We selected a group from nearby city to dig the well. They arrived yesterday morning and dropped off some equipment. What surprised me most about the men that arrived is that the youngest was probably mid-50s and the other two early 60s. Why is this surprising? Here in our tiny town there are dozens of young men in there 20s and 30s that occupy the cafes all day and night. This group of elders shows up with a grin and shrugs off the heavy equipment like it's no problem. Where are we putting the well? In the middle of our garlic and onion beds, why you may ask? Great question! When Art comes up with a reasonable excuse for ruining the beautiful garlic and onions we planted for spring I'll let you know. Before: Now: On a brighter note, our garden should thrive with the extra water available. We are prepping the land around where the orchard with a thorny bramble perimeter to keep livestock that roams out of the field we will be planting. And there are a few old pear cheers scattered on the land. I was given the task of chopping down an oak tree that was shading said pear tree. And I would like to report I managed to yell "timber" with pride. I have helped but never chopped down an entire tree on my own until yesterday. We have a bit more rain forecasted in the next ten days then hopefully we can start with the clean up and prep of the vines for the season. We do plan to build a few more trellises. They create great shaded areas in the garden. We've discussed setting up hammocks and/or bistro tables under each one. What's your vote? Other news includes a hardcover of Castle of Teskom on Amazon.

Short post but no less important. For the last thirty days I have been carefully checking and rechecking the stats since the release of the Castle of Teskom. I set a goal of 30 copies in 30 days. Crushed that at the end of week two and then hit a gap of no sales for nearly ten days which was a little disheartening, but then almost everyday since a copy or two has been picked up. Cheers! My gap years from traditional employment to full time homesteading has given me a lot of time to think and create. Summers are dry and pretty hot, early mornings in the garden only before the need to seek refuge in the shade inside or hike up high in the mountains which we did both this last summer. During my idle time inside I started writing. I kind of let my fingers type while my imagination and mind wandered all summer. Here's a glimpse at the timeline: June-August - Three months of a rough first draft September - One month of a second and third draft August - October - Cover Creation (lost count of edits) September - October - 45 days of creative edits and another post two redrafts November - Final proof edit, formatting, marketing, publish! I enjoyed the process of creating the characters and the storylines. Even the few Easter eggs throughout and few nods to my hometown. The editing was a beast! I was remarkably unprepared for the amount of hours I found myself with a red pen and rereading the same sentence 100 times for comma placement. Many high speed brick wall moments, but I had an amazing editor who took my novice skills and I soaked it up. The cover art was a ton of fun (formatting was a beast). I managed to use pictures of the Mokset Hills (no not a spoiler) and the archway is one actually found on this hillside with a few tweaks in PS and ID it came to life. I have started drafting book two and have ideas about where and how I will do things differently to save time, redrafts and hopefully find an audience to help with beta reading the next draft now that they have read the first in the series. If you are interested leave a comment below. If you've read the Castle of Teskom, please leave an honest review. I have problem receiving feedback good or bad. And if you haven't read the book check it out: https://www.homesteadalbania.com/emberintime Happy New Year! May 2021 bring you great joy and peace!

I took time to walk around the nearly bare garden and take in all the changes that occurred this year this afternoon. We managed to successfully brew raki from Persimmons, Mulberries, Thana, and Grapes. Made wine from mulberries (semi fail) and our grapes (great so far). Stocked our freezer with fresh figs, dried figs, sauce from the garden tomatoes, pepper, eggplants, and onions, fresh pomegranate juice, mulberry juice, beans, and enough blueberries to last until next year. Stocked the pantry and cellar with fig jam, pekmez (mulberry molasses), more beans, quince preserves, dried herbs and tea, potatoes, garlic, onion, wine, and raki. In the garden we have another round of garlic and onions, variety of cabbage, lettuce greens and leeks. Persimmons are ripening nearly every day. And we are starting the planning stages for next years garden including a new project. Art and I have officially signed a lease for the land next to our homestead to start a new pomegranate orchard for export. An adventure and challenge to add to the mix for sure. We know the pomegranate trees that are in our current garden and that grow wild here in the north require little maintenance and can tolerate our long dry summers. We hope that once we pass the initial planting and first two years of growth we can have a healthy productive harvest. Many challenges I have embraced since starting the homestead lifestyle and believe we are ready for this one. We are still working towards building a cabin or suite accommodation to host people onsite. We are thankful the healthy produce from our garden, orchard and vineyard, fresh eggs from our chickens and our bio meat raised here or next door. A major boost to our health and well being during a year where we stayed very close to home. Only a few minor excursions to the mountains. Speaking of mountains. Art manifested his dream of walking the mountains this year by assisting with a project here in the north to document the flora, trees and terrains manually. He was able to view the area from far above and document some pretty cool canyons and caves to further explore. From a creative aspect we have uploaded several videos to our Homestead Albania channel, opened an Etsy shop to share our corner of the world, donated two pallets of books to the local schools and written/published two books. So all in all a pretty rad, delicious and beautiful year.

Featured Author Adam Yamey: Adam Yamey, retired dental surgeon and author of several books about the Balkans, visited Albania in late spring 1984, when the Stalinist dictator Enver Hoxha still ruled the country with an iron fist. This journey is described in Adam’s book “Albania on My Mind”. Adam and his wife made a trip to Albania in 2016, travelling all over the country by car and talking to many people they met on their travels. “Rediscovering Albania” is about this trip and compares Albania in 2016 with what it was like in 1984. The book also makes references to the impressions of several earlier travellers to Albania including Lord Byron and Edward Lear. It also touches on the popularity of Indian culture amongst today's Albanians. Adam’s informative travelogue offers a new and interesting look at Albania: its valiant people, its intriguing history, its wonderful landscapes, and its myriad attractions. You can find Rediscovering Albania: Amazon Lulu Bookdepository Kindle Or by ordering through a bookseller [ISBN 978-1326807108]. Next author Arti Malaj: Arti Malaj was raised in northern Albania during the height of Communism. It was challenging. Religion was abolished, food rationed, and essential items limited. He lived in a multi-generation home; dinner was always a significant event with immediate and extended family, often followed by music, translated stories read by his uncle or legends told by his Grandfather Gjeto, never a dull moment. His journey post Communism included university studies, obligatory military service, immigration to the US, business owner, husband, author, and currently living on his tenth-generation vineyard, orchard, and home in northern Albania. Northern Albanian Folk Tales, Myths and Legends Generations of Northern Albanian are known as great storytellers. They shared many folk tales, myths, and legends with their descendants. The collected short stories include mysterious legends of lost treasures, mystical tales of mountain fairies, superhuman powers, century-old witches, blood feuds, and more written by a twelfth-generation Albanian. The lands described in the stories are still visible today, and locals share a sense of wonder and respect the mysteries that hide beneath. Northern Albania is a true treasure of raw natural beauty and a hidden gem in Southeastern Europe. You can find Northern Albanian Folk Tales, Myths and Legends: Amazon Other eBook And our final author Kim Malaj: Kim Malaj lives on a vineyard and homestead in northern Albania. Although she is a Show Me State (Missouri) lady at heart (Go KC Chiefs and Royals!), she loves her life at Homestead Albania. When she’s not writing, she tends to the garden, orchard, vineyard, or livestock. Even brewing up several batches of raki, making wine, and other sweet and savory treats made from the fruits and veggies produced in the garden. She is an avid photographer, keeps an active blog about their homestead, and hobbyist drone pilot, learning the art of drone photography and filming. Castle of Teskom Shiny ember rocks are fuel for time; the dull rocks are a fool’s dime. An old nursery rhyme, or so they think. Itra and Danae stumble across an ancient secret kept hidden behind a reflection in time near their Albanian home. A faded memory and cryptic messages have propelled them to risk an encounter with foes from Greek mythology, altering their perception of Albanian folklore and reality. Itra and Danae grapple with events set in motion centuries ago and must choose to protect and serve or risk having the secret exposed. Will love, loyalty, and lineage be enough to hold them together, or will they lose their way in a universe they are only beginning to understand? You can find Castle of Teskom Amazon Paperback & Kindle: https://amzn.to/3n5Aetj Barnes & Noble Hardback: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/castle-of-teskom-kim-malaj/1137830298?ean=9781666206975 Other eBooks: https://books2read.com/u/bpryMl If you have a book inspired by Albania and want to be featured in next month's spotlight piece, comment below. Our latest catch of Homestead Albania with the drone included because it's to pretty not to share. Cheers!