I was fortunate to celebrate her 54th birthday with my sister Alissa, her husband John, and my mother this evening.  I drove to Schenectady earlier to help with a re-feathering project. My mother decided last month that she was tired of the food at the assisted living center where she has been living for the last two years. She has decided to return to her home in Schenectady to resume living independently for as long as possible. Initially, she rented out the eight-bedroom, three-story, hundred-year-old house and then last spring put it on the market but had no takers.  I met her there this afternoon to help with projects to help with the transition.  At 88 she is still quite spry and sharp as a tack.  We were extremely productive working together despite the fact that I had to reprimand her several times for climbing the ladder or on top of chairs to help me hang window treatments. I had planned to leave the ladder here when I return to Boston but am beginning to reconsider that decision.