Meatloaf of the Grill

Last night, I tried a new twist on one of our favorite dinners:  Meatloaf.
With the meat in a large bowl, mix in a scrambled egg or two, 1/2 cup bread crumbs (We like whole wheat Panko), salt, pepper, Cheyenne pepper, an onion, chopped fine.  Mix well, and form into a loaf.  Chop at least three cloves Garlic into small slivers and poke into the top all over.  Brush 1/4 cup Dijon Mustard over the top and sides.  Sprinkle liberally with whole Peppercorns.  Have your fire on one end of the grill and place the meatloaf on the other side of the grill.  I added potatoes, split in two and brushed with olive oil, and covered the lid.  After 1/2 hour, rotate the loaf and bring closer to the coals.  the idea is to cook it slower than directly over the coals.  The Mustard coats the meat, sealing in the juices.  Theresa approved!

Build a Rain Barrel

                                                                               
I saw an article in a magazine with instructions of building a rain barrel.  I have wanted them since last season, thinking of the saving for watering the gardens.

The article advised to use a 55 gal. trash can (Plastic) to make the barrel.  Don't use them!  They are not strong enough!  I found 55 gal barrels for $ 12.00 each including the gas to get them.  I made two a couple weeks ago.  Since we've had a nice rain, I've made some changes to make them even better! 
The article advised making an overflow hole near the top with a 1/2 " outlet.  My barrel collecting water from the top back roof filled up quickly and the 1/2 " overflow will not handle the water from a 2 X 3 gutter. 
Today I removed the 1/2 " overflow outlet, cut a hole large enough to run a gutter out.  I silliconed the gutter where it exited the barrel.

I attached a flexible piece coming off the house gutter, angling it towards the barrel, a straight piece, long enough to reach the barrel, and an angled piece directing it over my screened inlet area.  The spiket was too high on one barrel, leaving too much water remaining in the barrel, so I bore another hole, much lower in the barrel side.  Instead of securing the bib valve with a nut inside, I used a # 14 O Ring and siliconed the threads good.  I plugged the original hole, using my 1/2 " Overflow outlet and filled it with silicone.

                                                                           

Here's how to build it and what I used:

A 55 Gal barrel, suitable for holding liquids.  Cut a hole in the top for your downspout, and screen to cover it.  I used tin snips to cut some flashing into strips.  I spread a bead of silicone around the edges of the screen, laid it over the hole, layed my flashing strips around the outer edges, drilled small holes through the flashing and screen, and secured it down with small sheet metal screws.  Rivets would work fine, too. 

Next, I cut a hole in the side near the top, to accommodate my overflow gutter.  I inserted an angled gutter spout in the hole and siliconed a seal around the seam.  I then configured the rest of the gutter pieces to move the overflow water away from the foundation.  Using a spade bit, 3/4 " size, drill a hole near the bottom of the barrel for your faucet.  I used a 1/2 " boiler valve, a # 14 O Ring over the threads, a bead of silicone, and simply screwed the valve slowly into the hole, making sure to keep the valve aligned straight.  The barrels sit on two layers of cinder blocks and a couple 2 X 4 's

That's about the size of it!

                                                                                         

Saint George             

Also known as

·                     Victory Bringer

Memorial

·                     23 April (Roman Catholic)

·                     3 November (Russian Orthodox)

·                     fourth Sunday in June (Malta)

·                     third Sunday in July (Gozo)

·                     23 November (Geogia)

Profile

Soldier. Martyr. That’s all we know for sure.

Several stories have been attached to Saint George, the best known of which is the Golden Legend. In it, a dragon lived in a lake near Silena, Libya. Whole armies had gone up against this fierce creature, and had gone down in painful defeat. The monster ate two sheep each day; when mutton was scarce, lots were drawn in local villages, and maidens were substituted for sheep. Into this country came Saint George. Hearing the story on a day when a princess was to be eaten, he crossed himself, rode to battle against the serpent, and killed it with a single blow with his lance. George then held forth with a magnificent sermon, and converted the locals. Given a large reward by the king, George distributed it to the poor, then rode away.

Due to his chivalrous behavior (protecting women, fighting evil, dependence on faith and might of arms, largesse to the poor), devotion to Saint George became popular in the Europe after the 10th century. In the 15th century his feast day was as popular and important as Christmas. Many of his areas of patronage have to do with life as a knight on horseback. The celebrated Knights of the Garter are actually Knights of the Order of Saint George. The shrine built for his relics at Lydda, Palestine was a popular point of pilgrimage for centuries. One of the Fourteen Holy Helpers.

Died

tortured and beheaded c.304 at Lydda, Palestine

Whole Wheat Honey Orange Bread

Like to bake bread?  It's not hard.

 Start with some warm water in the Bowl.  Add the yeast, sugar, salt, and let rest for a few minutes.  Begin adding flour, at first, a cup at a time, but as it thickens, I add only 1/2 cup at a time.  A powered Bread Hook helps, but I never had one.  I mix with a Wooden Spoon till I it has solidified and begins to leave the sides of the bowl.
 Then, dump it onto a floured surface to knead. Flour your hands and I put some flour in a bowl or off to the side to add as I knead.  Your hands get sticky and gooey at first, especially if you're working with Rye and Whole Wheat.  Kneading is simply pushing down the dough using the palms of your hands.  Then fold it over, sprinkle flour over and knead out again.  Continue to knead, adding flour to keep from sticking, for about 10 minutes.
 By now, the dough should have taken a nice round shape and feel slightly tacky to the touch.  Grease up a big bowl, cover with a clean towel, set in a warm place to rise.  Most White flour bread rise for 1 1/2 hours.  The Whole Wheats, Ryes, Pumpernickel's, should rise for at least 2 hours. 
Back to a clean floured surface.  Flour up your hands, dump the risen dough from the bowl, and this time, punch down to about 2 inches.  Using a knife, cut to divide into sections.  If the recipe yields two loaves, cut in half.  If you are making rolls, cut off the dough to the desired size and shape, keeping in mind, the loaves or rolls are going to rise even bigger.
Most of my breads, I bake on a sheet, either fired clay or cookie sheet.  Apply some shortening to the sheet and lightly sprinkle with corn meal.  Lay your loaves or rolls out on this surface.  Cover up and let rise one hour.  (45 minutes into the last rise, pre-heat the oven.)  Most of my breads start out at 400 for the first 10 minutes, then reduced to 350 for the remainder of the bake time.
Breads usually bake for an hour or so, but some bake in as little as 1/2 hour if the temp is left at 400.
Rolls, being smaller, bake in much less time.

Today's Recipe:  Whole Wheat Honey Orange, is derived from many different bread recipes I've encountered!  I encourage you to mix different flours and spices together to deviate from the original recipes.

Ingredients:

2 Cups Warm Water
1 Tablespoon Yeast (or 2 Packs)
1/2 Cup Honey
1 Cup Warm or Scalded Milk
2 Eggs, room temp and beaten
1 Stick Butter, melted or softened
2 Oranges, juiced and zest ed
1 Tbsp Salt
1 Tbsp Anise Seed
1/4 Cup Corn Meal, soaked in 1/2 Warm Water for 1/2 Hour
1 1/2 Cups White Flour
1/3 Cup Rye Flour
Enough Whole Wheat Flour to finalize the dough (3-4 Cups)

1.  In a large bowl, add: Water, Yeast, Salt and rest for 10 Minutes
2.  Zest the peels from the Oranges, and juice them.
3.  Warm or Scald the Milk.  Add to the mix after it has cooled a bit!
4.  While stirring, add the Honey, Butter, Orange Juice and Zest, Anise Seeds, Eggs, Corn Meal, and White and Rye Flour. 
5.  Begin adding enough Whole Wheat Flour and stir till the dough becomes thick and starts to come away from the sides of the bowl.
6.  Put some White Flour in a small bowl to grab and sprinkle on your kneading surface, hands and dough.  Your hands will get gooey and sticky at first till you knead and sprinkle the additional flour to make the dough.
7.  Make sure to add a little flour to your kneading board, hands, and dough to reduce the "sticky effect"  Knead for about 10 minutes.  By now, the dough should feel consistent and slightly tacky to the touch.
8.  Apply a light coat of Shortening to a large bowl, add the dough, cover with a towel and place in a warm area to rise.  Rise time may vary from 1 1/2 Hours to 2 Hours.
9.  Meanwhile, grease 2 Baking Sheets and sprinkle lightly with Corn Meal
10.  After the dough has risen and doubled in bulk, place on a clean floured board and punch down till uniform in size, about 3 inches.
11.  Divide in 4 equal sections with a knife, shape into round loaves, and place on baking sheets, two to a Sheet.
12.  Cover and let rise in a warm place for 45 Minutes.
13.  Pre-heat the oven to 400.  When oven rises to 400, Place loaves in and start the bake.
14.  After 10 Minutes, reduce heat to 350 and continue to bake for about 50 minutes. The loaves will be nice and brown and the bottoms, nice and crusty!

Bolognese Sauce

I'm Sicilian and have been making Mom's recipes for years, but things like her sauce was just called sauce.  Today I watched Chef Fabio's cooking show on the Yahoo Network and he made a Bolognese Sauce that I cooked up for dinner tonight. 

You start with Mirepoix: Celery, Carrots, cooked up in Olive Oil till tender.
Add an Onion, sliced fine, and 2 finely chopped cloves Garlic.
In a few minutes, add one cup White Wine.  I used Sherry, cuz I had some!
Let that all bubble up 15-20 minutes then add freshly ground beef.
I used Italian Sausage, again having it in the house.  I sliced the links and squeezed out the meat into my Mirepoix mix, and cooked it for 15-20 minutes and then added one cup Red Wine and let simmer for 20 more minutes.  Then add a can of Crushed Tomatoes or Puree, and a small can of Paste.
After that's all mixed in, let'r simmer for 1/2 hour or more.
Meanwhile, get your Pasta water boiling to make pasta.
I used All Grain Rotini.  When the pasta's done, Pour your nice Bolognese Sauce over and grated cheese. 
Thanks Chef Fabio!

To all without Hope

To all who suffer from life's precarious journey
    To all who have been abused, neglected, and forgotten
        To all suffering from addictions and no direction
            To all who are lost and without hope


God loves you so much, that He sent his Son into the world, to become Man, to be our King, to suffer and die for us.  To suffer and die, to pay the price of OUR sins.

He's right with you, whether you realize or not.  He's just waiting for you to reach out and say "Father, I'm lost; help me find my way.  I'm hungry, feed me.  I'm sick, heal me.  I can't do this without you."
           

The Composing of Suite in Cm for the Wild Flowers

The Story of My Journey of Wild Flowers of the woods to the Journey of Musical Emotions to stimulate the ears and mind.

 The Journey begins with a friend and wild life lover telling me he is compiling a documentary on woodland wildflowers in our area of upstate NY.  Would I write the music for it?

How could I not want to?

Woodland Wild Flowers.......
Hmm.........

I'm thinken a folky Americana atmosphere.
I've had two turn of the century Banjo Mandolins, hanging on the wall of the studio.  They both play, but the maple shelled one, is sweet!  Because of it's age, when I restored it to playing condition, I kept it tuned down a step to keep the string tension lower.  After all, it's near 100 years old!

A funny little riff came in my head and I auditioned it on the Banjolin.  I said it was sweet but still does not play as nicely as my newer mandolin.  My little riff, or melody is easy enough to sound nice and play without too much difficulty, given a slow tempo. 

Well, the way it comes off the Banjolin, places the song in C Minor.  I intended to back the rhythm up with my big dreadnaught Yari.  I tried a capo on the 3rd fret and the song was transposed to A Minor for the part on this instrument.  I thought out of the box, so to speak, and decided to try recording the first track, using the melody instrument, the Banjolin, rather than the rhythm instrument, the Yari.  That's the beauty of re-do's, un-do's, punch in's, and the sort.

I have a poor man's large diaphragm condenser mic that to me sounds better than anything I've ever had.
Once I had a nice clean track of the Banjolin, I could play around with my guitar part, which, up until now I did not really have any real ideas formulated.  Playing back the track and guitar in hand, I found a solid foundation for the rhythm guitar part, for the most part, but as I kept playing it back, I found transitional chord changes that complimented the melody nicely and enhanced the entire mood and dynamics.






Having said that, I recorded two chorus' of my melody theme; one minute twenty-two seconds.  I figured I'd add my upright bass part, in the Arco fashion, bowed.

Ahh, there's Mrs. Puddy, my resident room mate when I lived in Palmyra!






I had begun the song with a funny little dissident chord strum on the Banlolin, and had ended with it, figuring it would make a nice transition into the 2nd movement.

Listened back to my 1st movement a few times and thought I could double the temp and see what would happen. 
This time, I played a track of the rhythm guitar with the Yari, following for the most part, the same basic chord changes as the first movement, but twice as fast. (More or less!)

I think it went down in the first take, a big rarity.  I listened back a few times and though how good it sounded and how quickly it was unfolding, till I picked up the Banjolin and attempted to play along with the guitar track.  That was a joke!  What was I thinking?  I couldn't begin to keep the pace at twice the speed.  Sigh...........
Well, I had two options; try to play the melody on a different instrument or re-record the guitar track at a slower pace.  After contemplating a bit, I decided to attempt it on my Kentucky Mandolin.  It sounds great and plays like a dream.

In keeping with the Banjolin, I tuned the Mandolin down a step D, G, C, F.

Well, I still could not keep up the quick pace I had set with the guitar.  Being the stubborn Sicilian I am, I kept trying, and before too long, I was getting pretty close.  I took a break, and went back to it, and managed to get down two chorus's out of the five I had on the guitar track.  The remaining three tracks on the mandolin just were not clean and sweet as the first two chorus's. 

I went back to the Yari and tried my hand at flat-picking a melody track.  It too proved to be hard, but like the mandolin, I nawd away at it and came away with two out of three nice chorus's on the Yari.

I had one chorus remaing to fill with a melody and I thought I'd gamble on the Mandolin again.  After not too many trys, I got a nice jazzy riff going.  Again, as the 1st movement, I ended the set with my funny chord strum.
That was a nice long two days and I had completed the 1st and 2nd Movement, totalling 2 minutes, 20 seconds.  Only 7 minutes, 40 seconds to go!

While I was falling asleep that night, I envisioned a low tuned guitar in an open tuning to ring in the next movement. 
The next morning, I played around with it and realized that I would have to tune down farther than ever to achieve my C Minor open tuning.  It sounded great, but the strings were too slinky and the tone was flabby sounding. 

My friend and I went to a few local music stores in search of Heavy gauge strings but to no avail.  My next option was to find a single bronze string heavier than .056"  Again, no cigar after two stores. My buddy suggested a store on the west side of town and off we went.  We arrived at Stuttsman's Music and they did not carry Heavy bronze strings for acoustic, but did have a set of Resinophonic strings, something heavier than I had found so far.  I asked if they had any single strings that were heavy.  They had an .059"  Perfect!!!
I had decided to put the .056" in the 6th position, and use a set of mediums, which I already had from the 6th string to the 2nd string, leaving the high E 1st string out. 
Of course, the nut slots were not set up to get these monster strings in there, so it played like a Mack Truck, if a Mack Truck were a guitar.  But oh, the amazing sound and tone! 
Again, I was back in the same hard to play instrument boat as I was with the Banjolin!
I tried to keep my picking clean and crisp as possible and got'r done.
Much of what I played in the open slack C m tuning, was a rhythmic finger picking sustain going.  I decided to add a 2nd track with my open tuning.  That fattened it up nice.  After more playback, I thought I'd go back to the Banjolin for parts of the 3rd movement over the slack tuned guitar.  I played through most of the track with the Banjolin, knowing that I would edit much of it out later.

 

My next quest and big question was: Could I do anything with the Cello that would not sound like a cat being skinned alive?

I goofed with it for a bit with hitting the record button and eventually, thought I had a chance.

Play, Record, take one.....Take two.......Take three.......I won't bore you with the take count!

I did manage to get some cello in, again, resigning myself to the possibility of cutting most out later.  It didn't come out sounding as if Yo Yo Ma played it, but I didn't cut out as much as I thought I was going to either.
This 3rd Movement brought the time up to just about 5 minutes;  Halfway home!

While scouring my brain for the next emotion and keeping with the familiar theme melody, I thought if I made something out of a low tuned guitar, why not a high tuned one?
I tried the capo on the 8th fret of the Eastman Parlor Guitar and played in E Minor to achieve the proper key of C Minor for this composition. 
I was able to come up with great things to add to the frey.  The high pitched guitar was bright and melodic like a Hammer Dulcimer, or even a Harp.

The Eastman ruled the final two minutes of the 4th Movement. 

I thought I'd want something low also to hold my high tuned guitar from blowing away with it's light airy voice.

Back to the Cello.  If I keep it low and slow, it just might work.

Hear for yourself!

Call me crazy

I hate politics.  I have no faith in our form of government.  I am not an activist. I don't vote.

I know, I will receive a barrage of insults from those who argue that it is my civic duty to vote and how many people have died so that we might enjoy this privilege.  Let me point out that I served my 4 1/2 years active military for our country.  I really had no choice, you see Nixon sent me the happy letter advising me that Uncle Sam was expecting me to muster and defend our country.  I had no say in the Vietnam "Police Action" arrangements, nor did I agree with it.  As far as I'm concerned, war is one of bigger slaps in the face to God.  Looking back through history, I fail to see any progress we've made.  Mankind is more evil and ruthless than ever before.  Enough about what I was forced to do as a young man. 

If I could see a nano-fraction of my vote being recognized at all, maybe I'd think differently.  To me the definition of democracy means our leaders are bought and empowered by the wealthy and powerful, to due their will, not the will of the common man.  It's all about money, greed, and power.  These three things go hand in hand and even the people who mean well in the beginning, fall under the lure of money, greed and power.  Until we change how our democratic leaders are really elected, things will never change.  Correction; things will change only for the worse.

Now the government has dictated to us even how we handle our health insurance coverage.  Policies are forced upon us whether we like them or not.  For one thing, our two party system is a joke.  We supposedly elect officials to make the laws to benefit us, but we see that is not the case at all.  We simply now elect those who continue to make the laws to benefit the rich and powerful. 

Our country was originally formed, one nation under God.  In 200 years, that sure has taken a back seat.  Now, it's more like one nation under the evil one.  We have morphed into the United States of Gomorrah.  As my father used to say "The cards speak for themselves."  The writing's on the wall, just as in Daniel's time.  We are allowed to speak anything, no matter how scandalous, or who gets hurt.  Our so called freedom of speech has given free reign to reek havoc.  There is no dignity or respect in anything we do anymore. 

The root of the entire evil matter?  We have turned from God.  We have evolved into such a super race of people that we don't seem to need God's guidance any longer.  We possess the manual for life and prosperity, but no one believes anymore.  In the last 2,000 years, we have not gotten it. 

So all of you who think I am committing treason, think again.  Time is up.  Most homes do have a bible in them.  Isn't it time to dust it off and see what's inside?  Everything in the bible is handed down from the word of God.  All of the predictions so far have come true except the one that has not transpired yet.  Jesus is returning; I believe sooner than later.  It won't surprise me if it is this very year. 

In the words of John the Baptist:  "REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS AT HAND!"

Saint Ermenilda of Ely

Also known as

• Ermengild of Ely                             
• Ermenhild of Ely

Memorial

• 13 February

Profile

Born a princess, the daughter of King Erconbert of Kent, and Saint Sexburga of Ely. Ermenilda was a pious youth with a strong prayer life. Married to the pagan Wulfhere, King of Mercia whom she converted by setting a good example. Queen. Mother of Saint Werburga of Chester and King Coenrad of Mercia, who abdicated to become a monk in Rome, Italy. Ermenilda used her royal influence to destroy the last of Anglo-Saxon paganism. When widowed, she became a Benedictine nun at Minster-in-Sheppy abbey, which had been founded by her mother. She served as abbess there and at the abbey at Ely, England.

Died

• 13 February 703 of natural causes

Canonized

Saint Gregory II

Also known as

• Gregory the Younger
• Gregory Junior

Memorial

• 11 February

Profile

Involved in Church affairs from an early age. Pope Saint Sergius I ordained Gregory a sub-deacon. He served the next four popes as treasurer of the Church, then librarian. Assigned important missions. Accompanied Pope Constantine to Constantinople for discussions with Emperor Justinian II.
Elected 89th pope in 715. He held synods to correct abuses, stopped heresy and promoted discipline and morality in religious and clerical life. Rebuilt a great portion of the walls of Rome, Italy to protect the city against the Lombards. Restored churches, cared for the sick and aged, re-established monasteries and abbeys. Consecrated Saint Boniface and Saint Corbinian as missionary bishops to the tribes in Germany. English pilgrims increased to the point that they required a church, cemetery, and school of their own.
In his dealings with Emperor Leo III, Gregory’s showed strength and patience. Leo demanded destruction of holy images. When bishops failed to convince him of his error, they disobeyed and appealed to the Pope. Gregory tried to change the emperor’s thinking, counseled the people to maintain allegiance to the prince, and encouraged the bishops to oppose the heresy. It appears he won out.

Born

• 669 at Rome, Italy

Papal Ascension

• 19 May 715

Died

• 11 February 731 at Rome, Italy of natural causes

Canonized

• Pre-Congregation

 

Saint Scholastica
Saint Scholastica, from the San Luca Altarpiece.
Virgin
Born	c. 480 AD Nursia, Umbria, Italy
Died	10 February 547 near Monte Cassino
Honored in	Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church
Canonized	Pre-Congregation
Feast	10 February
Attributes	nun with crozier and crucifix; nun with dove flying from her mouth[1]
Patronage	convulsive children; nuns; invoked against storms and rain; Le Mans[1]

Scholastica (c. 480 – 10 February 547) is a saint of the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Churches. Born in Italy, she was the twin sister of St. Benedict of Nursia.
St. Gregory the Great, in his Dialogues, tells us that she was a nun and leader of a community for women at Plombariola, about five miles from Benedict's abbey at Monte Cassino. We do not know what rule this community followed, although it seems most likely it was the Rule of St. Benedict.
Scholastica was dedicated to God from a young age (some tellings of her story indicate that she preceded Benedict in godliness, and he came to holiness after she did). The most commonly told story about her is that she would, once a year, go and visit her brother at a place near his abbey, and they would spend the day worshiping together and discussing sacred texts and issues.

The Christian Religious Orders commemorative coin

One year at the end of the day, they had supper and continued their conversation. When Benedict indicated it was time for him to leave, she protested, and begged him to stay with her for the evening so they could continue their discussions. He refused, insisting that he needed to return to his cell. At that point, Scholastica closed her hands in prayer, and after a moment, a wild storm started outside of the guest house in which they were housed. Benedict asked, "What have you done?", to which she replied, "I asked you and you would not listen; so I asked my God and he did listen. So now go off, if you can, leave me and return to your monastery." Benedict was unable to return to his monastery, and they spent the night in discussion. According to Gregory's Dialogues, three days later, from his cell, he saw his sister's soul leaving the earth and ascending to heaven in the form of a shining white dove.
Her memorial is 10 February. Scholastica is the patron saint of nuns, convulsive children, and is invoked against storms and rain.
She was recently selected as the main motif for a high value commemorative coin: the Austria €50 'The Christian Religious Orders', issued 13 March 2002. On the obverse (heads) side of the coin Scholastica is depicted alongside Benedict.

Saint Anthony, Abbot

His story 

Feastday: January 17

Two Greek philosophers ventured out into the Egyptian desert to the mountain where Anthony lived. When they got there, Anthony asked them why they had come to talk to such a foolish man? He had reason to say that -- they saw before them a man who wore a skin, who refused to bathe, who lived on bread and water. They were Greek, the world's most admired civilization, and Anthony was Egyptian, a member of a conquered nation. They were philosophers, educated in languages and rhetoric. Anthony had not even attended school as a boy and he needed an interpreter to speak to them. In their eyes, he would have seemed very foolish.  

But the Greek philosophers had heard the stories of Anthony. They had heard how disciples came from all over to learn from him, how his intercession had brought about miraculous healings, how his words comforted the suffering. They assured him that they had come to him because he was a wise man.

Anthony guessed what they wanted. They lived by words and arguments. They wanted to hear his words and his arguments on the truth of Christianity and the value of ascetism. But he refused to play their game. He told them that if they truly thought him wise, "If you think me wise, become what I am, for we ought to imitate the good. Had I gone to you, I should have imitated you, but, since you have come to me, become what I am, for I am a Christian."  

Anthony's whole life was not one of observing, but of becoming. When his parents died when he was eighteen or twenty he inherited their three hundred acres of land and the responsibility for a young sister. One day in church, he heard read Matthew 19:21: "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." Not content to sit still and meditate and reflect on Jesus' words he walked out the door of the church right away and gave away all his property except what he and his sister needed to live on. On hearing Matthew 6:34, "So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today," he gave away everything else, entrusted his sister to a convent, and went outside the village to live a life of praying, fasting, and manual labor. It wasn't enough to listen to words, he had to become what Jesus said.  

Every time he heard of a holy person he would travel to see that person. But he wasn't looking for words of wisdom, he was looking to become. So if he admired a person's constancy in prayer or courtesy or patience, he would imitate it. Then he would return home.  

Anthony went on to tell the Greek philosophers that their arguments would never be as strong as faith. He pointed out that all rhetoric, all arguments, no matter how complex, how well-founded, were created by human beings. But faith was created by God. If they wanted to follow the greatest ideal, they should follow their faith.  

Anthony knew how difficult this was. Throughout his life he argued and literally wrestled with the devil. His first temptations to leave his ascetic life were arguments we would find hard to resist -- anxiety about his sister, longings for his relatives, thoughts of how he could have used his property for good purposes, desire for power and money. When Anthony was able to resist him, the devil then tried flattery, telling Anthony how powerful Anthony was to beat him. Anthony relied on Jesus' name to rid himself of the devil. It wasn't the last time, though. One time, his bout with the devil left him so beaten, his friends thought he was dead and carried him to church. Anthony had a hard time accepting this. After one particular difficult struggle, he saw a light appearing in the tomb he lived in. Knowing it was God, Anthony called out, "Where were you when I needed you?" God answered, "I was here. I was watching your struggle. Because you didn't give in, I will stay with you and protect you forever."  

With that kind of assurance and approval from God, many people would have settled in, content with where they were. But Anthony's reaction was to get up and look for the next challenge -- moving out into the desert.  

Anthony always told those who came to visit him that the key to the ascetic life was perseverance, not to think proudly, "We've lived an ascetic life for a long time" but treat each day as if it were the beginning. To many, perseverance is simply not giving up, hanging in there. But to Anthony perseverance meant waking up each day with the same zeal as the first day. It wasn't enough that he had given up all his property one day. What was he going to do the next day?  

Once he had survived close to town, he moved into the tombs a little farther away. After that he moved out into the desert. No one had braved the desert before. He lived sealed in a room for twenty years, while his friends provided bread. People came to talk to him, to be healed by him, but he refused to come out. Finally they broke the door down. Anthony emerged, not angry, but calm. Some who spoke to him were healed physically, many were comforted by his words, and others stayed to learn from him. Those who stayed formed what we think of as the first monastic community, though it is not what we would think of religious life today. All the monks lived separately, coming together only for worship and to hear Anthony speak.  

But after awhile, too many people were coming to seek Anthony out. He became afraid that he would get too proud or that people would worship him instead of God. So he took off in the middle of the night, thinking to go to a different part of Egypt where he was unknown. Then he heard a voice telling him that the only way to be alone was to go into the desert. He found some Saracens who took him deep into the desert to a mountain oasis. They fed him until his friends found him again.  

Anthony died when he was one hundred and five years old. A life of solitude, fasting, and manual labor in the service of God had left him a healthy, vigorous man until very late in life. And he never stopped challenging himself to go one step beyond in his faith.  

Saint Athanasius, who knew Anthony and wrote his biography, said, "Anthony was not known for his writings nor for his worldly wisdom, nor for any art, but simply for his reverence toward God." We may wonder nowadays at what we can learn from someone who lived in the desert, wore skins, ate bread, and slept on the ground. We may wonder how we can become him. We can become Anthony by living his life of radical faith and complete commitment to God.

In His Footsteps: Fast for one day, if possible, as Anthony did, eating only bread and only after the sun sets. Pray as you do that God will show you how dependent you are on God for your strength.

Prayer: Saint Anthony, you spoke of the importance of persevering in our faith and our practice. Help us to wake up each day with new zeal for the Christian life and a desire to take the next challenge instead of just sitting still. Amen 

The biography of Anthony's life by Athanasius of Alexandria helped to spread the concept of monasticism, particularly in Western Europe through Latin translations. He is often erroneously considered the first monk, but as his biography and other sources make clear, there were many ascetics before him. Anthony was, however, the first known ascetic going into the wilderness（from between AD 270–271）, a geographical shift that seems to have contributed to his renown.[4] 

Anthony is appealed to against infectious diseases, particularly skin diseases. "Saint Anthony's fire" has described different afflictions including ergotism, erysipelas and shingles.

Life 

Most of what is known about the life of Anthony comes from the Life of Anthony. Written in Greek around 360 by Athanasius of Alexandria, it depicts Anthony as an illiterate and holy man who through his existence in a primordial landscape has an absolute connection to the divine truth, which always is synonymous with that of Athanasius as the biographer.[4] Sometime before 374, it was translated into Latin by Evagrius of Antioch. The Latin translation helped the Life become one of the best known works of literature in the Christian world, a status it would hold through the Middle Ages.[5] In addition to the Life, several surviving homilies and epistles of varying authenticity provide some additional autobiographical detail. 

Anthony was born in Cooma near Herakleopolis Magna in Lower Egypt in 251 to wealthy landowner parents. When he was about 18 years old, his parents died and left him with the care of his unmarried sister. 

There are various legends associating him with pigs: one is that for a time he worked as a swineherd. 

In 285, at the age of 34, he decided to follow the words of Jesus, who had said: "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasures in heaven; and come, follow Me.",[6] which is part of the Evangelical counsels. Taking these words quite literally, Anthony gave away some of the family estate to his neighbors, sold the remaining property, donated the funds thus raised to the poor, placed his sister with a group of Christian virgins,[7] a sort of proto-nunnery at the time, and himself became the disciple of a local hermit.[8] 

The appellation "Father of Monasticism" is misleading, as Christian monasticism was already being practiced in the deserts of Egypt. Ascetics commonly retired to isolated locations on the outskirts of cities. Anthony is notable for being one of the first ascetics to attempt living in the desert proper, completely cut off from civilization. His anchoretic lifestyle was remarkably harsher than that of his predecessors. By the 2nd century there were also famous Christian ascetics, such as Saint Thecla. Saint Anthony decided to follow this tradition and headed out into the alkaline Nitrian Desert region (which became the location of monasteries Nitria, Kellia and Scetis)), about 95 km (59 mi) west of Alexandria, on the edge of the Western Desert. Here he remained for some 13 years.[8] 

Also note that the Therapeutae, pagan ascetic hermits and loosely organized cenobitic communities described by the Hellenized Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria in the first century, were long established in the harsh environments by the Lake Mareotis close to Alexandria, and in other less-accessible regions. Philo understood that for "this class of persons may be met with in many places, for both Greece and barbarian countries want to enjoy whatever is perfectly good."[9] 

According to Athanasius, the devil fought St. Anthony by afflicting him with boredom, laziness, and the phantoms of women, which he overcame by the power of prayer, providing a theme for Christian art. After that, he moved to a tomb, where he resided and closed the door on himself, depending on some local villagers who brought him food. When the devil perceived his ascetic life and his intense worship, he was envious and beat him mercilessly, leaving him unconscious. When his friends from the local village came to visit him and found him in this condition, they carried him to a church. 

After he recovered, he made a second effort and went back into the desert to a farther mountain by the Nile called Pispir, now Der el Memun, opposite Crocodilopolis. There he lived strictly enclosed in an old abandoned Roman fort for some twenty years.[8] According to Athanasius, the devil again resumed his war against Saint Anthony, only this time the phantoms were in the form of wild beasts, wolves, lions, snakes and scorpions. They appeared as if they were about to attack him or cut him into pieces. But the saint would laugh at them scornfully and say, "If any of you have any authority over me, only one would have been sufficient to fight me." At his saying this, they disappeared as though in smoke, and God gave him the victory over the devil. While in the fort he only communicated with the outside world by a crevice through which food would be passed and he would say a few words. Saint Anthony would prepare a quantity of bread that would sustain him for six months. He did not allow anyone to enter his cell; whoever came to him stood outside and listened to his advice. 

The former main altar of the hermitage church in Warfhuizen in the Netherlands with a mural of Anthony Abbot and a reliquary with some of his relics. Since then they have been moved to a new golden shrine on a side-altar especially made for them.  

Anthony went to the Fayyum and confirmed the brethren there in the Christian faith, then returned to his old Roman fort. In 311, Anthony wished to become a martyr and went to Alexandria. He visited those who were imprisoned for the sake of Christ and comforted them. When the Governor saw that he was confessing his Christianity publicly, not caring what might happen to him, he ordered him not to show up in the city. However, the Saint did not heed his threats. He faced him and argued with him in order that he might arouse his anger so that he might be tortured and martyred, but it did not happen.

He left Alexandria to return to the old Roman fort upon the end of the persecutions. Here, many came to visit him and to hear his teachings. He saw that these visits kept him away from his worship. As a result, he went further into the Eastern Desert of Egypt. He travelled to the inner wilderness for three days, until he found a spring of water and some palm trees, and then he chose to settle there. On this spot now stands the monastery of Saint Anthony the Great. There, he anticipated the rule of Benedict of Nursia who lived about 200 years later; "pray and work", by engaging himself and his disciple or disciples in manual labor. Anthony himself cultivated a garden and wove mats of rushes. He and his disciples were regularly sought out for words of enlightenment. These statements were later collected into the book of Sayings of the Desert Fathers. Anthony himself is said to have spoken to those of a spiritual disposition personally, leaving the task of addressing the more worldly visitors to Macarius. On occasions, he would go to the monastery on the outskirts of the desert by the Nile to visit the brethren, then return to his inner monastery. 

The backstory of one of the surviving epistles, directed to Constantine I, recounts how the fame of Saint Anthony spread abroad and reached Emperor Constantine. The Emperor wrote to him offering him praise and asking him to pray for him. The brethren were pleased with the Emperor's letter, but Anthony did not pay any attention to it, and he said to them, "The books of God, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, commands us every day, but we do not heed what they tell us, and we turn our backs on them." Under the persistence of the brethren who told him, "Emperor Constantine loves the church," he accepted to write him a letter blessing him, and praying for the peace and safety of the empire and the church.

According to Athanasius, Saint Anthony heard a voice telling him, "Go out and see." He went out and saw an angel who wore a girdle with a cross, one resembling the holy Eskiem (Tonsure or Schema), and on his head was a head cover (Kolansowa). He was sitting while braiding palm leaves, then he stood up to pray, and again he sat to weave. A voice came to him saying, "Anthony, do this and you will rest." Henceforth, he started to wear this tunic that he saw, and began to weave palm leaves, and never got bored again. Saint Anthony prophesied about the persecution that was about to happen to the church and the control of the heretics over it, the church victory and its return to its formal glory, and the end of the age. When Saint Macarius visited Saint Anthony, Saint Anthony clothed him with the monk's garb, and foretold him what would be of him. When the day drew near of the departure of Saint Paul the First Hermit in the desert, Saint Anthony went to him and buried him, after clothing him in a tunic which was a present from St Athanasius the Apostolic, the 20th Patriarch of Alexandria. 

In 338, he was summoned by Athanasius of Alexandria to help refute the teachings of Arius  

Final days 

When Saint Anthony felt that the day of his departure had approached, he commanded his disciples to give his staff to Saint Macarius, and to give one sheepskin cloak to Saint Athanasius and the other sheepskin cloak to Saint Serapion, his disciple. He further instructed his disciples to bury his body in an unmarked, secret grave. 

He probably spoke only his native language, Coptic, but his sayings were spread in a Greek translation. He himself left no writings. His biography was written by Saint Athanasius and titled Life of Saint Anthony the Great. Many stories are also told about him in various collections of sayings of the Desert Fathers. 

Though Anthony himself did not organize or create a monastery, a community grew around him based on his example of living an ascetic and isolated life. Athanasius' biography helped propagate Anthony's ideals. Athanasius writes, "For monks, the life of Anthony is a sufficient example of asceticism."  

Famously, Anthony is said to have faced a series of supernatural temptations during his pilgrimage to the desert. The first to report on the temptation was his contemporary Athanasius of Alexandria. However, some modern scholars have argued that the demons and temptations that Anthony is reported to have faced may have been related to Athanasius by some of the simpler pilgrims who had visited him, who may have been conveying what they had been told in a manner more dramatic than it had been conveyed to them.[citation needed] It is possible these events, like the paintings, are full of rich metaphor or in the case of the animals of the desert, perhaps a vision or dream. Some of the stories included in Saint Anthony's biography are perpetuated now mostly in paintings, where they give an opportunity for artists to depict their more lurid or bizarre interpretations. Many artists, including Martin Schongauer, Hieronymus Bosch, Max Ernst, and Salvador Dalí, have depicted these incidents from the life of Anthony; in prose, the tale was retold and embellished by Gustave Flaubert in The Temptation of Saint Anthony. Emphasis on these stories, however, did not really begin until the Middle Ages, when the psychology of the individual became of greater interest.[8] Below are some of these controversial tales. 

The satyr and the centaur

Saint Anthony was on a journey in the desert to find his predecessor, Saint Paul of Thebes. Saint Anthony had been under the impression that he was the first person to ever dwell in the desert; however, due to a vision, Saint Anthony was called into the desert to find his predecessor, Saint Paul. On his way there he ran into two demons in the forms of a centaur and a satyr. Many works of art depict Saint Anthony meeting with this centaur and satyr. Western theology considers these demons to have been temptations. At any rate, he was stopped by these demons and asked, "Who are you?" To that the satyr replied, "I am a mortal, one of those whom the gentiles call Fauns, Satyrs and Incubi, I am on a mission from my flock. We request thee to pray for us unto the common God, whom ye know to have come for the salvation of the world, and whose praise is sounded all over the earth." Rejoicing at the glory of Christ, St. Anthony, turning his face towards Alexandria... In the end, the centaur showed Saint Anthony the way to his destination.[10] 

Silver and gold 

Another time Saint Anthony was traveling in the desert he found a plate of silver coins in his path. He pondered for a moment as to why a plate of silver coins would be out in the desert where no one else travels. Then he realized the devil must have laid it out there to tempt him. To that he said, "Ha! Devil, thou weenest to tempt me and deceive me, but it shall not be in thy power." Once he said this, the plate of silver vanished. Saint Anthony continued walking along and saw a pile of gold in his way which the devil had laid there to deceive him. Saint Anthony cast the pile of gold into a fire, and it vanished just like the silver coins did. After these events, Saint Anthony had a vision where the whole world was full of snares and traps. He cried to the Lord, "Oh good Lord, who may escape from these snares?" A voice said back to him, "humility shall escape them without more. " 

Demons in the cave 

One time Saint Anthony tried hiding in a cave to escape the demons that plagued him. There were so many little demons in the cave though that Saint Anthony's servant had to carry him out because they had beaten him to death. When the hermits were gathered to Saint Anthony's corpse to mourn his death, Saint Anthony was revived. He demanded that his servants take him back to that cave where the demons had beaten him. When he got there he called out to the demons, and they came back as wild beasts to rip him to shreds. All of a sudden a bright light flashed, and the demons ran away. Saint Anthony knew that the light must have come from God, and he asked God where was he before when the demons attacked him. God replied, "I was here but I would see and abide to see thy battle, and because thou hast manly fought and well maintained thy battle, I shall make thy name to be spread through all the world. 

He was secretly buried on the mountain-top where he had chosen to live. His remains were reportedly discovered in 361, and transferred to Alexandria. Some time later, they were taken from Alexandria to Constantinople, so that they might escape the destruction being perpetrated by invading Saracens. Later, in the eleventh century, the emperor gave them to the French count Jocelin. Jocelin had them transferred to La-Motte-Saint-Didier, which was then renamed Saint-Antoine-en-Dauphiné.[8] There, Anthony is credited with assisting in a number of miraculous healings, primarily from ergotism, which became known as "St. Anthony's Fire". He was credited by two local noblemen of assisting them in recovery from the disease. They then founded the Hospital Brothers of St. Anthony in honour of him.[8] Veneration of Anthony in the East is more restrained. There are comparatively few icons and paintings of him. He is regarded as the "first master of the desert and the pinnacle of holy monks", however, and there are monastic communities of the Maronite, Chaldean, and Orthodox churches which state that they follow his monastic rule.[8] During the Middle Ages, Anthony, along with Quirinus of Neuss, Cornelius and Hubertus, was venerated as one of the Four Holy Marshals (Vier Marschälle Gottes) in the Rhineland

Women, a mystery???

This morning's news was interesting.  The world's leading scientist, Stephen Hawking is quoted that women are the biggest mystery in the world.  That's a big statement coming from someone who has managed to unravelling the most intricate of questions about life.  I gotta admit, I am stumped.  Women have certainly driven me nuts trying to figure them out sometimes, but what I believe Stephen's talking about is their paramount purpose for existence in the first place. 
I guess he never bothered to read Genesis.  According to God; you've heard of him, right?  "It is not good for man to be alone; I will create women to be his helpmate."  I am never ceased to be amazed when I read about how someone with vast intelligence beyond my comprehension, can say some of the stupidest statements ever made. 
The first reason should be more obvious to him than to me, who flunked science;  How could we multiply and have children, given our human make up?  God would have had to give us a different human structure capable of uni sexuality.  God, being omnipotent, could have easily have accomplished that, I have no doubt.  No, the reason is much deeper than a physiological differences between man and women.  It is God's ultimate plan for us, being together, man and women one flesh combined forever.  God is not only our creator, but the author of marriage itself. 
I have said and done many idiotic things in my life but, sorry Stephen; your statement is the stupidest 
one I have ever encountered in my life.