Oh my stars! Part 2

Woke up this morning in St. George, Maine.

Clearly, jokes are at work, because I didn’t know I was coming to St. George (see my post, two days ago). I thought I was driving to Spruce Head (turns out, it’s a village of St. George). And I thought I was picking someone up, I didn’t know I was unloading a uHaul and helping dear friends move furniture today.

I arrived last night in time to see my friend, a Rabbi, host a Yizkor service/gathering for the last night of Passover. It was a beautiful moment dedicated to grieving and celebrating the important people in our lives as the sun went down, the candles were lit, and the sky turned rose all around.

And with that expanded sense of inner space, I was driven to — where? St. George! And did I say “Oh my stars?” Yes I did. The stars pierced the blue-black night with such clarity, I imagined the Artemis II astronauts returning to Earth, as I looked out last night, might have a similar view.

Because I landed in St. George, I HAD to do some quick research. From Wikipedia I learned his remains rest in the Church of St. George in Lydda, today known as Lod, in… Israel! Oh my stars and garters!

And the Persian version of the holy man, George resurrects the dead, makes trees sprout, and pillars flower. Oh my stars and garters!

There’s plenty more, but disappointingly not much about dragons. This gem though: in Greece, he is venerated for keeping vampires at bay. By George!

I apologize for the corniness that follows. I’m sorry (not) these cartoons are kind of like shaggy dog stories. Sorry I screwed up the horse. I should do this one again, but I leave this with you, despite georg and his horse’s lumpiness.

Fangs but no Fangs