Bacon and Eggs

Myself. "Well, anyhow, it is determined that we make a feast, and I say for my part that there must be in this feast bacon and eggs fried together in one pan, and making a great commonalty in one dish."

The Sailor. "Excellent ; and the drink shall be beer."

The Poet. "Besides this, what we need is two large cottage loaves of new bread, and butter, and some kind of cheese."

Hilaire Belloc - The Four Men

 

Amid a small cyclone of activity, lately, I had the unique pleasure of welcoming my Chestertonian friend and fellow Leaguer, Del, and his son, who were foolish enough to agree to spend the night in our living room as they rested from their summer motorcycle meandering.

We spent most of our time together on our porch, where we smoked pipes, drank beer and grazed on the kind of rich tidbits that go best with that sort of evening. I embroidered our feast here and there with a little fruit to give the whole thing a thin gloss of healthful balance. Was there cheese? Is the Pope Catholic? The infamous Huntsman Cheese, and Cahill's Irish Porter Cheese (it's cheese and beer in one!).

The weather, I have to say, was perfect for porch sitting, and a porch in fine weather is a great place for praying the Rosary, too.

Del sported a kilt, though I was a little disappointed that he did not wear it while riding his motorcycle. That would have made the entire trip more interesting, for him and for a number of his fellow highway travelers. Impractical, I suppose.

Del's son, Buck - who, Del likes to remind everyone, is a trained killer - is the sort of young man that gives one a real sense of hope that our generation (boomers) may not succeed in ruining everything, though we try. One son in the military, and one in the seminary... a remarkable family all around.

We sent them off next morning with a feast out of Hilaire Belloc's The Four Men; bacon and eggs cooked together in the same pan, toast with real butter and coffee (I doubt Americans will ever very much embrace beer for breakfast, but I'm willing to do my bit to get such a custom started).

A gathering that will live in legend, especially as I find more time to embellish it.

Comments

[Robert Harrison]

Beer for breakfast does sound good.

Bacon and eggs cooked together - is that simultaneously, or eggs fried in the fat rendered from the bacon?

[Tim J.]

"...is that simultaneously, or eggs fried in the fat rendered from the bacon?"

Yes.

[Andrew Preslar]

Robert Harrison asked my question. I also share his opinion--*sounds* good. At this point in my life, that is pure theory. Someday, we will put it to the test, with bacon and eggs and bread and butter.

[John Kasaian]

It sounds like an absolutely glorious time!

[Del]

YEAH! Back home safely, after many adventures of friends and weather!

It was an awesome League event -- beer and tobacco, fun food and fine conversation. Much more real, too -- with young people being joyful in their manga costumes and dogs and cats enjoying the party.

We even got to see some of Tim's artwork, which is even more astounding in real life than the internet photos suggest.

Long live The League of Bearded Catholics!