Very, very sorry to hear about your Mom's diagnosis. Best of luck to her in fighting it. Cancer is tough, but it can be beat. Although easier said than done, sometimes it's best to try and focus on living the present than worrying about the future. She's still here now, and hopefully she can enjoy some of those tasty burgers.
As for painting, two things became clear to me about half an hour ago. First, the shoddy job that my friend did in patching nail holes before selling me the house. Second, how mind-numbingly unobservant I can be for eight years.