Thank you for your email. Are you going to Global Kalinga E=Rotary Christmas gathering on Sunday? Hope to see you two there.

This is one of my favorite images of Christmas. My Tio Rudy Vargas was commissioned by a man to sculpt this. When I first saw this Santa statue it kind of seemed out of place. They displayed it on a station break on PBS TV, and I didn’t know at the time that Tio Rudy had created it. Just like our culture has made the Easter Bunny almost into a part of Christianity. We know that is not so. Uncle Rudy said that the World knows a good thing when they see it, so they took Santa for their own, but his proper place is kneeling at the manger giving thanks to God for the best ever present to the World. Because of this gift, Saint Nicholas carried on the tradition of gift giving at Christmas. Not only the World loves Santa, but so do Christians. There are more churches named after and dedicated to Saint Nicholas than any other man or saint in the world. The photo you see here is my plaster cast copy of the original. There are two originals that were cast in bronze. My cousin has one and the other belongs to the man that commissioned my uncle to sculpt them.

My uncle carved them at his studio on Whittier Blvd, about 1 block west of Indiana in East Los Angeles. Uncle Rudy and Aunt Margaret lived in City Terrace. He also had a studio at this home in the basement at home. He also did a lot of work for the movie studios and Disney. One of his other famous carvings was for the Madonna family that owns the Madonna Inn in Santa Maria, CA. For Mr. Madonna’s 60th (?) birthday his wife commissioned Uncle Rudy to carve a Madonna and Christ Child which you can see at the Inn in a display case. They are host to a Wood Carvers Convention. In case you haven’t been there I know you will love it. It is a unique place.

Christmas was the theme of our Toastmasters meeting this morning and Kathleen Rabago was the Table Topics Master and she reminded us that St Nicholas had a giving heart, even after being imprisoned for some 12 years before being releasted from prison for being a Christian. That might make you qualified for a Humbug!

I love sharing this at Christmas time.

Brother Chuck

I think they were expecting a more regal birth and aggressive King that would smite the Romans and chase them from the Holy Land. What they got was more profound .

A plan for Eternal Life and Love everlasting. I love the whole season of giving and anticipation of the coming of the Lord.

Your missive every Friday is a Treasure and I love the 2 cents worth.

Merry Christmas and I so appreciate your talent and gift giving every week of the year. Tom of Pasadena