life & beth | thoughts on faith, family, food, beauty, and life

family

Change: A Catalyst for Blessings

Jim, my husband of 32 years and I are about to start an adventure. Along with our two dogs, and about half of 28 years' worth of accumulated crap, we're moving to Jonesboro, Arkansas at the end of July. We've rented a small house — and when I say small,…

Posted on July 1, 2019July 1, 2019 by beth g sanders

beauty

Fish: Phase Two

Today was like Christmas morning. Three separate UPS deliveries arrived, containing our filter, decorations (the rocks from Phase One), thermometer, substrate, and air pump. The only things left to be delivered are the plants and snails, both of which should arrive tomorrow. After setting up the sponge filter and rinsing…

Posted on August 22, 2018August 22, 2018 by beth g sanders

beauty

Fish: Phase One

A week or so ago we visited my niece and nephew in Little Rock. They just bought this great house, and she's an artist, so, of course it's decorated fabulously. One of my favorite things to look at was her aquarium. It was a small one, with a betta fish,…

Posted on August 21, 2018August 21, 2018 by beth g sanders

beauty

That Time I Talked to Art Garfunkel

And I Did Not Cry Last night I spoke to Art Garfunkel. Now, this was not a private conversation. In fact, about 500 people (by Jim's estimation) bore witness. We were given a generous and special gift from my sister and brother-in-law, which included tickets to an event at the…

Posted on October 7, 2017October 7, 2017 by beth g sanders

family

How Not to Be a Jerk When a Friend is Grieving

Warning: I'm only a month out from loss and I'm still raw. So this post is pretty unvarnished, and maybe a little angry. That's where I am. Please read with that understanding. You've just lost a loved one. You're in shock, reeling, and numb. Just to put one foot in…

Posted on February 7, 2017September 30, 2017 by beth g sanders

family

How to Honor Older Relatives Who Have Hearing Loss

At my age (I'm a proud 57), I and many of my contemporaries are dealing with aging parents. With age comes hearing loss, and, although I haven't practiced audiology (MA in audiology, University of Memphis, 1984) in 22 years*, I do still remember a thing or two about hearing impairment…

Posted on September 24, 2016September 25, 2016 by beth g sanders

beauty

I Miss Him in The Summertime

[caption id="attachment_27947" align="alignright" width="420"] He loved the lake, and he loved the Cardinals. And he loved me so well.[/caption] I miss him a lot in the summertime. Baseball season. Busch Stadium II. The Bottlecap. Baseball Heaven. The seats were red and they were so hot in July. Yes, St. Louis…

Posted on June 19, 2016 by beth g sanders

faith

Fighting About Coffee Cups

Oh, come on y'all. I saw this on Twitter today, posted by a local news outlet, in response to Starbucks' introduction of their new holiday coffee cups: “This is a denial of historical reality and the great Christian heritage behind the American Dream that has so benefitted Starbucks,” Andrea Williams…

Posted on November 9, 2015November 9, 2015 by beth g sanders

beauty

Small Miracles, Magnificent Gifts

I've always believed in miracles. I've known some really big ones in my family. Big miracles are like the fireworks on the Fourth of July — they make an instant impression amid the ooohs, and ahhhs, and the jaws that drop. Small miracles are different; they give us joy when…

Posted on July 1, 2019July 1, 2019 by beth g sanders

Posted on August 22, 2018August 22, 2018 by beth g sanders

Posted on August 21, 2018August 21, 2018 by beth g sanders

Posted on October 7, 2017October 7, 2017 by beth g sanders

Posted on February 7, 2017September 30, 2017 by beth g sanders

Posted on September 24, 2016September 25, 2016 by beth g sanders

Posted on June 19, 2016 by beth g sanders

Posted on November 9, 2015November 9, 2015 by beth g sanders

Posted on August 11, 2015September 12, 2015 by beth g sanders