So I've been on Family Medical Leave for about a month. Mostly I sit by a monitor I set up and watch my mother sleep. This is a Uniden system monitor and works fairly well, even in the dark. The sound is not so good so I have a First Years baby monitor also set up. I can react immediately to any cries for help or other signals of apparent urgency. For the most part even she cannot tell me what the problem is, what might be frightening her. She seldom reports being in any pain. Mostly these cries occur when she awakens and does not know where she is. 

While I sit and watch I've been playing with this computer. I edit and publish my recordings of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. I can't take the time to create the videos I've done for all my other Twain readings so these are just filtered editions of recordings I've already made. Very rarely now do I take the time to record anything new. I've also discovered Goodreads. It's fun to think about some of the books I've read and read the reviews and comments on the Goodreads site. All of these things are easily interrupted when Mom calls.

Everytime I check on her, if she's awake I try to get her to eat something - bite of banana, some yogurt, or rice pudding. She's now having a great deal of trouble eating. Only infrequently can she still use a straw. The hospice nurse suggested a syringe for giving her liquids. This works okay but each syringe full amounts to little more than a sip. I suppose this is just as well as anything more would likely cause her to choke. This is a 24 hour a day routine. I haven't had a full nights sleep for several weeks now.

So it goes...