Miracle

Guys.  I grew a plant.  From a seed (or a lot of seeds, rather).  Remember after my weekend with a real Spanish family, I came home with four terra cotta pots, some potting soil, three starters (basil, rosemary and chives) and some coriander seeds?  Well, I moved the starters into pots that day.  I soaked the coriander over night and the next day threw them in a pot with soil.  I've been watering every day for a couple of weeks now.  Tonight, I went outside to check if they needed water and I thought "huh, that basil looks a little bigger.  So do the chives!  And the rosemary."  And then I peaked into the pot with my coriander - it's dark outside and the light on my terrace is on the other side, so I couldn't see so well, but I thought I saw something in the pot.  At first, I thought maybe it was just some of the chives that I'd trimmed earlier that managed to fall into the pot.  But then I realized, they were little green sprouts!  All over the pot!  I literally laughed out loud as I ran inside to get my "watering can" (empty wine bottle).  I am so, so excited because coriander grows into cilantro which is one of my favorite things to eat!  I am also so, so excited because not only have I never grown anything from a seed before (besides maybe marigolds when I was in 1st grade as a class project), but I typically kill everything I try to grow in general.  Even if (maybe especially if) it's healthy to begin with.  But now I have these beautiful herbs!  And I'm going to cook with them!  And with all my new recipes I got today.

I forgot to mention that, huh?  I got my cookbook!  It's a little daunting since it wants me to use earthenware casseroles and mortar and pestle for things.  Which I don't have here.  But, I am getting a better idea about what I can cook with the ingredients I can find here.  Hopefully, I'll be able to find some of the things I want  at the store tomorrow.  I also got my drying rack today, which will be put to as soon as I get another 50 cent coin.  I also got a package from my lovely friend Jordana - containing two mix cds (great, since I'm going crazy with my current music selection - or lack thereof), some delicious tea, and ... jelly beans!  I have been craving jelly beans since before Easter - and as far as I can tell, they do not exist here.

I also stayed home tonight.  I got home from work and took a luxurious nap.  I watched a movie on my iPad.  I cooked dinner.  I worked on the blanket I'm making.  And I was okay.  Not sad.  Not homesick.

Today feels a little bit like a miracle - a little bit like the seeds I'm planting are growing, and something green is starting to poke up from the dirt.