Creekbank Stories Curt Iles, Storyteller
Our weekly The Creek Letter isn’t meant to be one-sided. We love hearing from readers and friends! We enjoy your emails and Facebook messages.
The painting below is by my Uncle, Bill Iles. It depicts Crooked Bayou, the stream flowing through our family’s homestead in Dry Creek.
What is The Creek?
In a word, it’s a way of life.
A way of looking at life. In my long list of future books, I plan a book called The Pineywoods Manifesto.
It will be written for boys like my grandsons. I want to pass
on the tried and true ways that make our part of Louisiana so special. In everything I write, I wish to pass on this wisdom of the woods that I learned from my ancestors.
Here a few subjects I’ll expound on in The Pineywoods Manifesto:
- If a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing right.
- You are your brother’s keeper.
- Don’t let anyone take a photo of you naked. (I’m serious).
- Carefully choose your hills to die on.
- Don’t forget where you came from.
What subjects and bromides do you want to pass on?
1. My word for the week: Gratitude
What a fine word. It’s a habit. A lifestyle. I want more of it. Thanksgiving shouldn’t be a day or even a month. It should be a daily attitude.
Link to see my current 6+ Words List.
2. A Quote:
Link to the Creekbank Quotes page.
3. A Scripture for the Journey
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
-King David in Psalm 100
4. Featured Book: Christmas Jelly
It’s always a thrill to hear from readers who’ve enjoyed Christmas Jelly, our holiday book celebrating Christmas in the woods. Features additional stories for “Bah Humbug”* week. We’re selling Christmas Jelly for $10.00 plus $5.00 shipping. Learn more here.
* Bah Humbug week is the infamous week after Christmas.
4. Blogs I’m following: as an LLL (Life Long Learner) I’m always searching for new ideas and personal growth. These are my current favorites:
1. Michael Hyatt: cutting edge on tech productivity.
2. Seth Godin: short, insightful blog posts.
3. Russell Moore: conservative and deep thinker on current issues.
4. Lifehacker: a little bit of everything.
5. A current favorite photo
This is our longleaf pine field from my deer stand. So thankful for my deep roots in the woods.
6. Here are links to this week’s blogs
at the Creekbank.
As the Crow Flies Sample Chapters
7. Grant Christmas Tree Farm is the best family holiday event in Louisiana. It’s operated by our friends, Gray and Mollie Anderson and their family. A day at the farm is one your family will never forget!
I’ll be greeting and signing books at Grant on these dates:
Friday, Nov. 25
Saturday, Nov. 26
Saturday, Dec. 3
Saturday, Dec. 10
Learn more at www.grantchristmastreefarm.com
8. Praying for DeDe and me:
- Thank you for praying for me during a recent bout of depression. Thanks to your prayers and my wonderful doctors, I’m doing better. I’m so grateful.
- Thank you for praying for our revision of As the Crow Flies. I’m making good progress towards a May 2017 release. You can help here.
- I’m so thankful for my wife DeDe. This weekend we celebrate our first date 40 years ago. (I still have the program from the event). Pray that I’ll grow as a husband and friend.
Readers are enjoying our new book, Trampled Grass. You can easily order your copy here. We’ll send your autographed book with an invoice.
View all 12 of our book covers.
10. Hotlinks
Our Creekbank About Page
Baptist Press on Trampled Grass
Trampled Grass review/Beauregard Daily News
Wayfaring Stranger: “This should be a movie.”
If you’re enjoying this story letter, forward it to a friend. If you’d like to subscribe to future blogs, click here.
If you have any comments, suggestions, or criticisms, email us at creekbank.stories@gmail.com
