Creekbank Blog

Your weekly LLL+Letter from the Creek

A word from Curt:  Friendship I’ve been thinking about friendship. Having friends is priceless. Being a friend is a gift you give yourself. Of all the maxims my mom pounded into my head, this may be the best. Link to see my current 6+ Words List.  My goal is living the Wowed Life. Here is my three-pronged mantra: 1. Stay Curious. 2. …

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Trespassing

Trespassing   He sees me about the same time I see him. And I’m trespassing. Trespassing on his land. The way he looks at me, I know he knows it. And so do I.   The trouble is I can’t go back: Behind me is a creek I can’t cross And I can’t go back. So I watch him carefully. …

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LLL+L The Creekbank Life Long Learner Letter

This is the weekly Creekbank LLLer + L. That’s the Life Long Learner Letter. Enjoy! We love hearing from readers and friends! A word from Curt:  Integrity I keep a list of words I attempt to live by.  I call the list my “6+ Words.” The definition of integrity I choose to use is: “Who you are when no one …

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The Babe’s Homer

The Babe’s Homer   A few years before he died, My maternal grandfather, Sid Plott, told me this story. I always think about it during the World Series. I’ll tell it in his own words: I was a young man in Kansas City, the city where I was born.  It was the 1928 World Series between the Yankees and St. …

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Best Seat in the House

     It’s World Series time.  One of my favorite times of the year.  I always recall how my Daddy took this week off to imbibe in two of his loves:  squirrel hunting and the World Series. In those days,  the World Series began early in October  (there weren’t divisions) and coincided with the first week of squirrel season. I …

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Life Long Learning: Friday’s Notes

A word from Curt:  Privilege. We have a choice in life: to view things as a privilege or a burden. Whether to view something as an opportunity or an obligation. A journal reminder: it is a privilege. It’s all in how I choose to look at it. In America, we are so privileged. Lord, help me be thankful for the …

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Photos Worth Sharing

Photos of the Week What we’re about: Stay Curious. Be Amazed. Tell Stories. Here are photos that have touched my life in the last week. Enjoy!   In tomorrow’s Friday Life Long Learner blog, I’ll share more about Uncle Rube and As the Crow Flies  .                     What’s your favorite homemade …

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“A $1000 Saddle on a $100 Horse”

                  A word from Curt After all of these years, it’s still one of my favorite stories. A humorous story with a good lesson. Enjoy! “A $1000 Saddle on a $100 Horse” This story was told to me by my friend Diann Cain Brown several years ago and it is still among …

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It’s LLL Day (Life Long Learner)

Like most of you, I’m committed to being a Life Long Learner. It’s an attitude. It’s a habit. It’s the desire of my heart. It defines my mantra: Stay curious. Be Amazed. Tell Stories. “The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago; the second best time is today.”                     …

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A Father’s Love

Listen to the podcast of  “A Father’s Love.”  “A Father’s Love” From the Curt Iles book, Wind in the Pines. The story below always gets two strong reactions when I tell it. First, laughter. That is a good thing. Secondly, many times this story brings tears. Last year, I told it at Delta Downs (in Vinton) to a group of …

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The Life Long Learner Story Letter Fri. Oct 14

                            Order your discounted copy here.                                    Special Offer:  No shipping through October! We believe in the message and stories of our new book, Trampled Grass.  During October, copies ordered here will …

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A Country Man named Billy Ray

Billy Ray He who wins souls is wise. -Proverbs 11:30 It’s a Southern thing, y’all. We like our double first names.  I’ve got my Aunt Margie Nell and my Aunt Lloydell. We all know Billy Bob, Jerry Jeff, and Peggy Sue. And then there’s Billy Ray. In the world of Dry Creek Camp, there will always only be one Billy Ray. We …

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Having a Life Song and Life Playlist

I’m a firm believer in having both a Life Song and Life Playlist. A Life Song is the song that captures your soul and always touches you when you hear it. My Life Song is “How Firm a Foundation.” The final verse is my favorite and I’ve leaned on it (and the Jesus it speaks of) for all of my …

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Trampled Grass Photo Gallery

  We’re excited about our newest book,  Trampled Grass. Rather than tell you about it, we’re sharing the best photos from the book and its forty short stories. Scroll down to read a reader favorite, “The Southern Gospel.”                         Eliza Iles, a Southern woman from Dry Creek, Louisiana, in …

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