Even longer time ....

Have been trying to catch up with said coursework (unsucessfully) hence long silence/blank space.

Mother no longer has spasms but is always touch and go as to well-being and vulnerable to any omissions in her care. She is showing signs of failing short-term memory. This may well be due to the fact that the last person who came and cared:

- wasn't giving her enough protein supplement;
- didn't talk to her (if you keep a conversation going, she eats more because she forgets to worry about it);
- cooked, but because she was a smoker, the food didn't taste of anything.

Doesn't mean the lady is a bad carer, but she's not the one for my mother!

One day, when my sister telephoned, mum said she was so lonely and could sister come over ... and that was with someone with her full-time. Fiona is doing so much to keep her physical well-being as good as it can be (and that is hard work!). I would love to provide for her mental well-being a bit (can't help with the physical as it involved too much going to and fro) but I would have to get agreement from college to spread this year over next as well to give me time.

Have put out feelers to do so, and the other end (friend who is staff and student) says they are tightening up on that. I feel guilty because I promised coursework and it hasn't materialized (yet). I stupidly sent an email to the course director saying it would be delayed because I had a cold and he was not best pleased - said a degree course needed commitment. True. So can see sense of aforementioned friend suggesting that it would be unwise to ask favours without getting an essay in first. It looks all too much as though I was applying to study and then said: "I don't fancy playing this year after all - can I play next year instead?" which is hardly the way to gain brownie points ....

If the reason I want a two year spread is to spread the load to free up time to support my mother, leaving all the coursework till next year makes a nonsense of that, so I need some done anyway. What I would hope to do is to spend some time doing things to boost my mother's mental well-being; in particular, there's a bit of family history she's always wanted to research, and I could do a lot of that on the internet for her. I can't give enough time to study if I do that, but I need to do it now (next summer might well be too late) and so need to spread the study. My mother and I would both be unhappy if I had to give it up.

So I need inspiration - fast! And a sympathetic reception when I speak to our director.