Creekbank Stories Curt Iles, Storyteller

A Word from Curt I have two questions today: Where do you go for your lonely place? Where are your sacred spaces?     I’ve chosen to make the first question singular: where is your lonely place? In the first chapter of Mark’s Gospel, the writer makes a key statement on the life and ministry of Jesus: 35 And rising very …

“Rounding third, headed for home. It’s a brown-eyed handsome man.” -“Centerfield” John Fogerty   A Word from Curt My Keyword* for 2016 is Encouragement. It’s one of my 6 Plus Words** for the year. One of the richest seasons of my life was coaching high school baseball. I’ve always felt at home in the third base coach’s box. It’s the …

Officially, it’s known at the Loma Prieta Earthquake. To me, it will always be the World Series Earthquake. October 17, 1989. Game 3 of the World Series.  The Bay Series:  cross-Bay rivals the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A’s. Just before game time, this 6.9 quake struck the Bay Area. When the shaking stopped, 63 people had died and nearly …

A word from Curt It’s a new year.   Time for looking ahead. But also time for looking back. I call the rear view part “our  yearly review.” I’m gleaning from my 2015 journals. There are five of them. Uncensored and uncropped. I encourage you to in your own style, record this new year. Journaling is an opportunity to double …

This is chapter 20 from Christmas Jelly. It’s written by one of my favourite people, Erik Pederson.  Mr. Erik touched all of us with his love, humour, and smile. He’ll always be missed in Dry Creek.   I encouraged him to write this story and had the privilege of editing it. A Danish Christmas    By Erik Pederson     One of …

    Tractor Time     When this old world starts getting me down And people are just too much for me to face. I climb way up to the top of the stairs And all my cares just drift right into space. On the roof, it’s peaceful as can be And there the world below can’t bother me. -On …

                                                           The Heavenly Choir   Christmas season—The Dry Creek Church choir sings beautifully in a way beyond description. It’s much more than a musical . . . it’s a production . . …

My short story collection, Christmas Jelly, was written in 32 chapters.  This allows you (the reader) to enjoy one chapter per day beginning on December 1 and ending on January 1. Here’s today’s serving of Christmas Jelly! Enjoy! Santa Claus is Coming . . . to School   I’ve learned this: life is always better than fiction. You cannot make up a …

A word from Curt Tomorrow,December 1, begins a daily blog of chapters from our short story collection, Christmas Jelly. The foreword below shares how you and your family can use these stories to brighten the Christmas season. Enjoy. DeDe and I and the Creekbank family wish you a Merry and Remarkable Christmas. Curt Order your copy(s) of Christmas Jelly at Amazon or www.creekbank.net …

Here’s a quick note on ways you can pray: Pray for Boroli Refugee Camp Baptist Church. Pray for DeDe and me as we share this a.m. at Beauregard Memorial Baptist Church near Longville.  We also speak on missions three more times. Pray for giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering that supports our fellow missionaries. On Tuesday I begin the …

Bo Rein to become next LSU Football Coach The Associated Press has reported that Bo Rein, current North Carolina State coach, has been picked to head up LSU’s Football Program. The LSU Athletic Department has neither confirmed or denied the report. If hired, Rein would replace long-time LSU Coach . . .   Before you get rattled, this is a …

The East Beauregard Trojans head to Oak Grove, Louisiana tonight for the state football quarterfinals.   In honor of the team, and my brother-in-law Coach Gordy Glaser, I’m dedicating this song to the Trojans:  Tony Joe White’s “Saturday Night in Oak Grove, Louisiana.” It’s one of my favorite tunes from Louisiana blues/folk singer Tony Joe White, who is a native …

Turkey Pinecones and cornbread dressing Last week I ate twice at school cafeterias. It was Thanksgiving lunch and we grandparents were invited. I don’t miss a grandchild event if I can help it. One day was with our adopted (truly) African-American granddaughter, Daizy Mae Thomas. The next day was with Luke Iles, aka Chief Wampum. Both meals featured turkey, cornbread …

A word from Curt Thanksgiving. It’s more than a day. It’s a life habit.   There are many images of thankfulness in my heart. But the sketch below illustrates one that touched me the most: It was scrawled in black spray paint on the side of a partially burned house trailer. It was east of Pitkin on Hwy 113/10. Probably …