Category Archives: My World

My writing and art collection relating to lifetime experiences.

Time Away

Time awayTime away is a luxury for many; but its true value cannot be determined…

“Oh that I had the wings of a dove; I’d fly away and be at rest.”  Psalm 55:6

Time away can prove to be an invaluable experience, especially when it surrounds you with beauty.  I recently got the chance to spend a most delightful time at The Vanderbilt Mansion and Italian Gardens in Hyde Park, NY with my dear friends Lisa and Walt Richter.  The site is only about an hour’s drive from my home, but it seemed we were thousands of miles away.  Having worked up a bit of an appetite once we arrived, our time away commenced with a picnic  on the vast, manicured grounds.  The weather could not have been more comfortable, and the magnificent views of  The Hudson River Valley were absolutely stunning.

Time awayTouring the opulent mansion felt like traveling back to an era of long ago, while the gardens lured us along fragrant and timeless paths.  I was truly surprised that time had ticked away so quickly as we explored the sites and enjoyed our time away.  To commemorate this particular escape, I purchased a souvenir at the gift shop…a rustic looking paperweight in the shape of a snail.  The little trinket will be a reminder to me of what treasures can be found and experienced when I stop and take some time away.

Time awayTime Away

(a poem about being away…and being at rest)

Time away doesn’t need to be far…

but it should be a memorable experience.

It doesn’t need to be painstakingly planned…

but it should be rich in pleasure.

Time away is a luxury for many…

but its value cannot truly be determined.

Until you go, whether far or near…

you’ll never reap all that time away has in store.

Poem and photographs by Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

Time awayMay you set aside some time to get away, no matter how far it is…and may you try to do it often.  Enjoy!

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Take a Break

Take a Break

“Office in a Small City,” 1953, Edward Hopper. Image from a page of the 2013 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

Take a Break…relax, enjoy, put your work on hold…

“What we do during our working hours determines what we have; what we do in our leisure hours determines who we are.”  George Eastman

We are fast approaching the time of year when most of us long for the chance to slow down enough to catch our breath.  Even if you can only take a break just long enough to pause and let the sun tickle your face…that is sure to coax a smile to brighten your moment.  While you are smiling, why not take it a step further and laugh aloud…allow it to echo through to your heart.  Now hold onto that lightness and let it grow into the most wonderful sensation; kind of like a private escape.  Just be sure to enjoy it often…let if become a part of you.

Take a Break

Take a break, relax, enjoy…

put your work on hold.

Close your eyes, sit back, imagine…

when you do, just think of what may unfold.

Take a break, don’t worry or fret…

really, what difference will that make?

Let yourself escape for a while,

just enjoy it, for goodness sake!

Take a break, get out, explore…

go on, do yourself a favor.

Life will go on, it won’t come to an end…

besides, you may just have more of it to savor.

Felecia R. Weber, 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

Take a break

“Above the Clouds”. A glimpse of a recent “break” of my own. Felecia R. Weber, 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

Okay, so what about you?  What are you waiting for?  Go on, close your eyes, relax and take a break!

Peace and love,

Felecia

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On Leisure

On Leisure

leisureA Quote to Carry You

June 1, 2015

“Guard well your spare moments.  They are like uncut diamonds.  Discard them and their value will never be known.  Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson

On leisure…I don’t know about you, but it seems that when it comes to keeping busy with work or other tedious activities, I excel time and time again.  Regarding leisure, taking the time to rest and relax, well, let’s suffice it to say that I could use a lesson or two in that department!  For me, time seems to be the one thing that gets used up more quickly than any other resource that I have.  In the same vein, spare time is one of my most valuable assets.  It is somewhat of a paradox, time and how I spend it.  Since I often seem to have so little of it to spare on any given day, shouldn’t setting some of it aside to rest and enjoy it be a high priority?  Hmmm…I think I’ve just answered my own question!

How about you; do you allow time for leisure in your daily or weekly schedule?  Are you missing out on all that rest and relaxation have to offer you?  May you take the time for leisure, no matter what it may cost you…I think you’ll realize, as I have myself, that in the long run, not taking the time to take a break is something that you really cannot afford.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Having the Courage

Having the Courage

“Fencer,” 1906, George’s Demeny. Image from a page of the 2013 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

Having the courage…The look in my beloved’s eyes conveyed a bravery that I’d never seen in them before.

“When I am most afraid, I become my most courageous.”  Felecia R. Weber, OntheWingofaDove.com

“Having the courage” can potentially lead to many noble and fearless actions.  Some may be as common as boarding an airplane for the first time; others may involve risking one’s life for another.  The first thing that came to my mind when I pondered the phrase, “having the courage,” was a particular memory about my late husband.

Prior to receiving the diagnosis of having tonsillar cancer, Steve underwent surgery to remove the suspicious tonsil.  I remember him noting how strange he though it was that his doctor would tell him that he was “very brave” during the surgery.  Steve remarked that all he had done was lie on the operating table, after all.  It was later when he received confirmation that in fact he did have cancer, that we both realized what his doctor meant when he stated that Steve was very brave.  Thinking back, remembering the moment when Steve relayed the diagnosis of his cancer to me, I got a glimpse of what “having the courage” really means.

The look in my beloved’s eyes conveyed a bravery that I’d never seen in them before.  As he spoke the words, “I do have cancer” to me, a quivering fear caused his eyes to fill with tears, then he immediately composed himself, stoically…and so it began…

Having the Courage

(a poem dedicated to my courageous husband)

To have received such devastating news,

indeed you were very brave, my love.

Your strength, your courage, your determination,

displayed the power that embodied you from above.

Although you suffered, your spirit thrived,

throughout all the discomfort, and the pain.

Having the courage to face whatever might come,

the memory of your bravery, will forever in my heart remain.

Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

“Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave your nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

When life challenges you with difficulties, may you always stand firm, having the courage to face them…remembering that God is always ready and willing to see you through them.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Going Through It

Going through it

“Fontainebleau Forest,” early 1860’s, Eugene Cuvelier. Image from a page of the 2015 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

Going through it…it’s not about constantly looking back, thinking of what could have been, or why it’s not…

“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” (Author Unknown)

Going Through It

It’s not about living life day after day,

hoping that things will always go your way.

It’s not about dreaming so hard, that all you do is sleep…

It’s about going through it.

It’s not about constantly planning.

trying to keep your life under control.

It’s not about trying to keep difficulties from happening…

It’s about going through it.

It’s not about constantly looking back,

thinking of what could have been, or why it’s not.

It’s not about being afraid to step out into the future…

It’s about going through it.

It’s not about trying to be something you’re not.

pretending to be someone one you were never meant to be.

It’s not about trying to please others; they don’t determine your self-worth.

It’s about going through it…living the life that is “you.”

Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

Going through it

Photograph courtesy of David Brown

We cannot always know what life will offer to us.  Whether the terrain is bleak, or full and lush.  We rarely have any other choice except going through it.

May you always have the courage to face any challenge and accept with open arms any opportunity that your life is blessed with.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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On Honoring Others

On Honoring Others

honoring othersA Quote to Carry You

May 25, 2015

“I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”  Nathan Hale

On honoring others – To honor someone means to respect and recognize them for some exceptional task they have performed.  I doubt that anyone would argue that the most noble act that one can do for another is to lay down his life for them.  So many of our brave members of our Armed Forces committed themselves to doing just that every time they took up their weapons and entered into battle.  As we set aside time for honoring others on this Memorial Day, there is no escaping the solemnity of the ultimate sacrifice that so many willingly gave.  Freedom comes with a price, and the price that so many of our military men and women paid can never be fully recognized.

May you join me in honoring others on this Memorial Day by pausing and giving thanks for what they gave up for you and me.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Words Cannot Express

Words cannot express

Photograph courtesy of Martin Watson

Words cannot express how I feel sometimes…

“I feel as if my life had grown more outward when I can express it.”  Henry David Thoreau

Words Cannot Express

Words cannot express how I feel sometimes.

Human emotions are so complex; they are difficult to define.

What seems to be the cause of so much joy one moment,

can cause heart-wrenching anguish the next.

How does one formulate that kind of flux into words?

Words cannot express what is missing from my heart sometimes.

Those times when I know there should be  something there,

but I can’t quite put my finger on what it is!

How does one explain what is unknown even to herself?

Words cannot express what I want to say sometimes.

They just don’t even scratch the surface of what’s going on inside of me.

How does one verbalize a pain so deep that it almost disappears because it’s unbearable?

Or when I’ve finally figured it out and my feet seem hardly to touch the ground;

how does one harness that energy long enough to translate to the world how fantastic it is?

Words cannot express who I truly am sometimes.

I am uniquely “me” just as God created me to be.

So do I really need to express myself in words? Is that even possible?

The answer has to be “no,” for words cannot fully express me…

but watch closely and you’ll know me by my actions…by how I live my life.

Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

“…it’s like I’ve crossed the proverbial line.  I’m not sure where I am going…all I know is that it is someplace deeper.”  Felecia R. Weber, OntheWingofaDove.com

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Speaking – What’s in a word?

Speaking

“In the Conservatory,” c. 1875-78, James-Jacques-Joseph Tissot. Image from a page of the 2013 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

Speaking – What’s in a word?

Speaking has a way of expressing things untold.

Words relayed softly, or in a way that is sharply bold.

No matter what is spoken, no matter why or how,

Speaking to others is what I’d like to be doing right now!

Talking, conversing, stating, uttering, expressing, communicating…

What’s in this word for you?   If you can tell me, please do!

Speaking has become one of my favorite things to do these days.  Living alone has made me realize that expressing myself by speaking to others is not something to be taken for granted.  Although my little dog and I have certainly developed a language that allows us to communicate quite well with each other, conversing with another human being is something that I crave daily.  From sharing the little things that have happened on any given day of the week, to confiding my inner most feelings; speaking and being listened to by others is something that I’ve come to treasure.  I suppose the thing I enjoy the most about it, it is that speaking, listening, and responding to what others say to me makes me feel connected…isn’t it interesting how the human voice has the ability to do that?

May you reach out and speak to others, and by connecting with them, perhaps you’ll make their day a little brighter.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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