By: Sarah Chase:

The first year we raised pigs, my dad asked me, "Sarah, what do you want to name 'em?"  I wasn't quite 4-years old at the time, so I didn't have a whole lot of history at the time to pull from.  But, I was a fan of vintage TV and classic screwball comedies.  So, I happily dubbed the biggest pig, with the particularly curly tail, well ... he got named Curly (from the Three Stooges).  The smallest pig I called Lucy (from I Love Lucy), and the third, who had markings that looked like a tuxedo jacket, got named Charlie Chaplin.  

Curly, Lucy and Charlie arrived sometime in the spring.  I didn't think too much of them, as the dog, horses and rabbits fell more under my remit at the time.  Though, every so often I'd go out to the pen with dad and throw them some veggies and table scraps.  I do remember that they grew quite fast.  Each time I went out to look at them, they seemed to have doubled in size.  After 3-months, Lucy had far surpassed both Curly and Charlie.  This is also about the time that dad decided to inform me that Lucy was actually a Desi, but the name had already taken.

Seated at the dinner table in late November of that same year, dad said, "Sarah, you're getting up early tomorrow and we're going to Oink's. with the pigs."  I thought this sounded fun, a field trip with the pigs to meet a guy named Oink, I could only imagine what he looked like! 

Turned out Oink was the 6'4" 19-stone man who would be the last human Charlie, Lucy and Curly would ever know.  I watched the whole thing ... from the knife to the throat to the final pork chop.  Nothing spared.  Dad wanted me to know exactly where my food came from and to appreciate the effort and the sacrifices of both man and animal.  Charlie, Lucy and Curly fed us all winter. 

Next spring, when 3 new little piggies arrived in the back of our old red Chevy, and dad asked me what I wanted to name this new batch.  I furrowed my brow, thought back on what had happened last time, turned to him and said, "Let's just name 'em Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner."