Smorgasbord #45

Charisms, Coffee Controversy, Campfire

Aug 23, 2024

Hello friends, this is Smorgasbord, a self-service buffet of ideas—the sourdough pretzels of newsletters.

Boy, this week flew by. I returned from retreat on Sunday afternoon after five hours on the road, twice as long as it should have taken because of an accident, but I still had a chance to decompress and prepare for the week.

My two older boys started on a hybrid homeschool model where they go to school with other kids on Mondays and Thursdays and do work with Diana the rest of the week. It’s been an adjustment, but we’ll get the hang of it.

Alright, let’s get on with it.

Charisms

I had the pleasure of meeting Fr. Michael Fones, OP, during the retreat, and what a gift that man is to the Church. We chatted throughout the weekend, and one of the things that caught my attention was his asking me if I knew my charism. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church 799, charisms are graces of the Holy Spirit that directly or indirectly benefit the Church, ordered as they are to her building up, to the good of men, and to the needs of the world.

Diana and I feel called to practice hospitality as our family’s charism. We enjoy the reception and entertainment of guests at our home and are usually happy-tired once everyone has left and we have cleaned up our home. I think that because I was once a stranger in Phoenix and some people received me into their homes and made me feel like family, it’s something I feel indebted to do for others because I know how much it means, especially when you’re feeling lonely and isolated.

Lately, however, I’ve been feeling called to practice hospitality in a spiritual sense, such as welcoming people’s questions about the faith and trying my best to lead them to Jesus. This retreat was a good example; I got to lead a small group of men through a few discussions after listening to several talks, which was a very positive experience, for me at least. Hopefully, the men in my small group thought the same. But I think having someone asking questions, listening, and providing feedback can be big.

Coffee Controversy

I posted this on Notes, and it caused some controversy. I didn’t know a meme could cut so deep, but this is what happens when you tell people who they are based on what they do.

However, I think this drawing is incomplete; therefore, it would only be fair to reimagine what coffee preparation methods say about people. This is what I came up with:

I’m sorry for whoever uses a percolator or any other random coffee method that is not included in the above alignment chart. I had nine squares to work with and made an executive decision. If you feel offended by this chart, you should re-evaluate your life decisions and buy a pour-over (or an Aeropress).

I live in the lawful-evil, neutral-neutral, or chaotic-good realms. Let me know in the comments if you think this chart needs amendments.

Campfire

Some of the men I hung out with last weekend were extremely generous in sharing good drinks and tobacco with yours truly. I failed everyone by not bringing any alcohol myself, a lapse in judgment, but those who brought something did not disappoint.

And so I would like to tell you about two spirits and two cigars I was able to enjoy over the weekend that I think you may enjoy as well if you’re looking for something to wet your whistle.

First, we have Writer’s Tears Copper Pot, an Irish Whiskey that attempts to recreate whiskey recipes from the 19th century—this period coincided with the golden era of great Irish novelists, poets, and playwrights like George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde, W.B. Yeats, Lady Gregory, James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, and Bram Stoker. This smooth, creamy, oaky, vanilla-y whiskey almost made me cry. You all know I’m more of a cocktail guy, but drinking this neat was very pleasant.

I paired this with a Perdomo Lot 23 Maduro Toro, a medium-bodied, sweet, oaky cigar with notes of mocha, spice, and espresso. The draw was consistent throughout, and it seemed to only get better as I kept smoking it.

Second, we have Smoke Wagon Desert Colt, a fruit-forward Bourbon with tons of candy notes, cinnamon, spice, and gentle heat. This was very buttery, creamy, and easy to drink at room temperature. I liked that the label for this bottle says, “Bibamus, moriendum est!” which is Latin for “Let us drink; death is certain.” This, if you think about it, could be part of Memento Mori and remembering our mortality.

I paired the Smoke Wagon with an Oliva Serie V Melanio Torpedo, which has Nicaraguan filler and binder and a Sumatra wrapper. This cigar was warm and sweet, kind of herbal and nutty, with a hint of spice. The only complaint I had was that the draw wasn’t great on the last third of the cigar, which made me give up on it early.

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Sobremesa

Do you know what your charism is?
Where do you land in the coffee alignment chart?
Do you have any drink/cigar recommendations for me?