“Moving Out” Thoughts on a New Year

    A Word from Curt Grateful. Gratitude is one of my 6+ words for 2017. I’m thankful for the wonderful gifts in my life. Today I’m thankful to have the calling of writing. It’s what I do. Who I am.  I’m thankful that you have chosen to read this blog and allow my heart …

Bah Humbug Week Begins: 26th of December

  I love Christmas.  I really do. I’d glad it occurs yearly. And glad it only occurs yearly. I call the week after Christmas,  Dec. 26-Jan.1, “Bah Humbug Week.” It’s a week to recover.  It’s a week to reflect.  I use this week to look back over the past year with gratitude and as a …

December 24: Christmas Eve

  An Easy Mark   “I’m a thousand miles from anywhere, waiting for a train.” -Jimmy Rodgers “Waiting for a Train”   Calling someone an “easy mark” is normally not a compliment. We use it in the context of taking advantage of someone and associate it with weakness. I have a story that explains the …

A New Short Story: Our Christmas Gift to You.

Merry Christmas to you and your kin from all of us at the Creekbank. This new short story, “Midnight Chicken”, is our gift to you. May its theme of It is more blessed to give than to receive resonate and bless your Christmas. Curt and DeDe Iles Midnight Chicken   Dec. 23, 1943 Bundick, Louisiana …

Christmas: A Gift from the hands and heart

A Gift from DQ   Christmas is a time for gifts and there are all types of gifts. The best gifts come from hands, hearts and are created from love and skill. As Christmas 2011 approaches, I’m obsessed with a gift I saw last week.  I call it a gift from DQ. DQ. I’m not …

Christmas in an old feed trough

This is chapter 16 from my short story book, Christmas Jelly. There’s still time for you to order copies of Christmas Jelly in time for Christmas stocking stuffers. Scroll down to learn more or click here. We are also offering a special Christmas price on a set of all twelve of our books: $100 for …

Chapter 6: First Christmas in Dry Creek

First Christmas in Dry Creek J.J. Miller had set up camp where he had a good view of the surrounding area. There were no signs of any settlers in the last mile he’d come, and he had scouted down to the nearby creek and seen no recent signs of human habitation. It was December 24, …

A Good Word: Resilience

In this week’s story letter: 1. A word called Resilience. 2. Free Download of “My Grandpas’ Boots.” 3. Christmas Sale: all 12 of our books for $100. 4. Filling your stockings with Christmas Jelly. 5.  Photos of “A Day at The Old House.”   A word for December. It’s Resilence. It’s a good word.  It’s …