Coffee from God

Goldendale. Today was one of those crazy travel days where I really question the sanity of living in Camas. There is a monthly meeting, every third Tuesday at 2pm that often requires my attendance in Ellensburg. That's a 4 hour drive from Camas. Each way. Because it's at 2pm, I can make the trip there and back in one day if need be. If it were earlier or later, I would get to break it up. And I don't know how this happens, but no matter how we fix the schedule, it always seems to happen on girl week. The drive goes through some beautiful country, some of the most unpopulated country in Washington, which means little or no cell phone coverage and fewer options for coffee. There's a little coffee stop and bakery along the way. By the time I see it, it's too late to stop in time and there's nowhere on the highway to turn around. It's a cute little yellow building, it looks promising, and this morning I had left my coffee behind so I was on the look out.

I was expecting a couple of hippies trying to support themselves off the grid, or maybe a little mom and pop dinner, what I got instead was two nuns in full greek orthodox habits! At first, I thought "berka," which made me think "oh, one of those kind of hippies." The woman we buy our chicken feed from wears a berka in solidarity with oppressed women everywhere (or so I imagine--since I've seen her both with and without, I pretty sure it isn't a religious adoption). But there wasn't just one but three, so I thought muslim shopkeepers? Imagine my caffeine deprived brain after two hours of driving trying to reconcile the shiny happy nun faces (YOUNG shiny happy nun faces) peaking out from the swaddles of their black habits. Then I realized the music was definitely church music and the offerings on the shelves were all byzantine gold leaf pictures of Jesus. I was addled to say the least. I think I stood around just gaping for a good few minutes before I finally mustered the courage to ask about whether they served coffee. (Duh, the sign outside says Espresso, okay so I was not all that with it. It also says "St. Johns" but who knew that meant nuns?) The lovely little nun pointed out the pot on the table, and get this, the coffee's free!

So next time you find yourself on Highway 97 between Toppenish and Goldendale, keep a look out. It's worth a stop. And if you want to know more about St. John The Forerunner Greek Orthodox Monastery, visit their web site at http://www.stjohnmonastery.org/.

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