the monastery of the holy spirit...

...is east of Atlanta, just outside the I-285 perimeter highway that circles the metro area. I was persuaded to go on Monday, with family and friends. It was a cold windy day, but thankfully plenty of vitamin D floating around in the atmosphere made the weather bearable. Someone, the person who is a most excellent self-promoter, was having a birthday, and announced weeks ago her desire to drive out and poke around amongst the bonsai trees the cloistered members of the monastery are growing.

We went years ago, with a neighbor who was obsessed with bonsai growing. I don't know if it could be considered an addiction in the way alcohol or tobacco or gambling might, when interventions and support groups are appropriate, but he did love bonsai. Probably had several dozen growing on custom made tables in his back yard, and was forever out there trimming, watering, nurturing and admiring his crop. I did not know about the greenhouse there at the monastery, open to the public filled with ancient gnarled trees near Conyers, but was persuaded to load up small children and drive with the neighbor to visit the facility. He purchased a couple of plants, and mysteriously claimed at the checkout to have 'forgotten his wallet'. I am still suspicious about that exchange, though I was repaid, and that man and his little stunted trees are long gone from the neighborhood.

It has been at twenty or more years since we were there, and I didn't remember that the place had such a huge gift shop - always hazardous with small children. You know how you cannot exit many public facilities, gardens, museums, without being forced to wend your way through the part of the building set aside specifically for sucking funds out of your pockets?  This place had not one but two gift shops. And I did not spend one red cent.

The rest of my fellow visitors on Monday bought cold sandwiches and drinks, self-serve, from a big cooler, from a un-manned cafe, and someone paid for my soda. I made up my mind a long time ago I would not purchase or eat concession stand food. You know it will not be good. It does  not matter how hungry you are, it is not going to be good food.They reported the eats were fairly good, but made ahead sandwiches are only one-half notch above concession stand food in my opinion.

But I kept all my funds to myself. Oh - no, wait: I put $5 in the donation box, and my last $2 in the offering box in the chapel. Since that was all I had in my pocket, that was all they got.