Daily Inspiration

Way Behind Schedule

Having chest pains and spending time in the hospital - both as an inpatient and an outpatient - have left me way behind schedule in moving. My furniture left on Sunday. My son and I are still tying up loose ends and sleeping on the floor each night. That can't be good for this ol' gal's bad back!

My son suggested that I just take everything that's left and dump it into boxes. I could do that, I guess, and if I take much longer I'll have to do just that. But that will mean I'm moving things that don't need to be moved. Throughout my life, I've been a packrat. I've also dabbled in crafts. And I've written since I was a child. Each of those things means I have boxes and boxes of things.

It hasn't been just the chest pains that kept me from getting out of here sooner, though. I have an oil painting that I wanted to sell to try to help with the finances. It cost almost $600 back in 1993 and was valued at $900 in 1997. I know I could probably sell it on E-Bay. But who knows how long that would take.

While taking a lunch break a few days ago, I decided to see if the artist had a web site. Back in 1997 he didn't. But this is 2003 and everyone has a web site. Guido Borelli does, indeed, have a web site. And as I sat wandering through his site, I really got excited. People around here, and people in Florida where we got the oil painting originally, have never heard of Guido Borelli. His web site explained that. He was born in Italy in 1952. (That makes him my age.)

But what excited me was that one page on his web site listed folks who have Borelli paintings, folks who collect them. That list includes some really famous and important people - former presidents, movie stars, congressmen, authors, opera singers. Wow. I have a Borelli. So does Oprah Winfrey. And Kevin Costner. And...well the list totals about 100 names of famous people.

That made me wonder how much this particular painting might be worth. It is an original painting done in 1993. Upon visiting Borelli's site and the sites of galleries where his paintings are featured, I discovered two things. First, his current paintings (the same size 20x24) are selling for $1565. Secondly, his style has changed. His newest paintings are painted in vibrant colors. The painting I own is in more muted tones and pastels. I wonder if that means it's worth more. Could be...

One artist with whom I spoke gave me some suggestions about getting this painting valued (and probably insured). He also tossed out his own appraisal based on what he knows right now. This artist thinks my painting is probably worth about $5,000. Wow, wouldn't that be grand?

Of all the things I'll be moving, that painting will be the one thing I carefully wrap and place in the car to be watched and protected.

Then, while packing some more today, I came across two old silver dollars - from 1923. Somehow, I waited until lunchtime to hit the Internet to find out their values. (It wasn't easy!) I'm not a coin collector, but it appears they're both worth about $39 each.

I had to laugh as I went back to packing, though. I filled my gas tank for the drive of about 375 miles, and have about $10 to add more. Hopefully, that will get me where I'm going. And yet, I have things in my possession that are worth some money. I almost sold that painting for $200. And, if someone had given me $3 for each $1 coin, I probably would have taken it.

That's what happens when you're hungry...