As we enter 2008, I’m thinking about how are spoken (or written words) can bless or curse. The next two blog entries tell of this. Uncle Quincy’s Goose(From Curt Iles’s third book, Wind in the Pines.) “He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity” . -Proverbs 21:23 I’m writing this story while hiking on the Appalachian Trail. This morning I’m sitting...

“Disregard that first message…”The end of a year, and beginning of another, is a good time to reflect as well as look forward. I want to share a funny story concerning the words we speak. It serves as a good reminder for 2008 that our words, once spoken, will either bring harm or blessing. And once spoken, they are out of the bag and cannot be pulled back in. Any school principal knows...

O Christmas Tree!This favorite story of readers comes from my second book, The Old House. My next-door neighbor, Mitzi Foreman, walks through our Christmas tree field. It is a cold and clear Sunday afternoon three weeks before Christmas. We search through the area where last week she tagged her tree. But it is to no avail- We cannot find the tree with her tag on it. This is...

Christmas Jelly Of all the Christmas memories and traditions, “Christmas Jelly” is one of my favorites. Each year I receive this special gift from a very special lady in my life. Before I share what Christmas jelly is, let me share about the special person who gives it to me each year. Eleanor Andrews is my neighbor in Dry Creek. For all of my life she has lived in the same house along...

(Left) Ron Yule at Dry Creek Camp Curt with Juanita Jordan During my Saturday book signing at Author’s Alley in DeRidder (1-3 PM) I will be joined by “fiddler extraordinaire” Ron Yule (Pictured above. He’ll be signing copies of his fiddle book.) At 2 PM I’m going to read from my chapter on the Ten Mile House Dance and Ron will play some fiddle tunes. It should be...