Not wishing to sound dramatic, but here's the next episode of this ongoing saga.

Very interesting phone conversation with my aunt last night. She was the person who instigated calls from sister-in-law and brother to my mother last week. Not happy to be called a traitor for saying he needed to phone her. Admitted she was upset by mother's attitude but now understood how I felt.

Also learned what had happened during frank discussion between aunt and mother last week. Apparently, she pointed out to my mother that the only people doing anything were her and me. She said that he was doing absolutely nothing. My aunt added that mother got very defensive when hearing this truth.

When I said that I was going to hand everything over to him, she asked me not to. Her view was the situation would not change and she would be left to pick this up. My aunt's understanding of the meeting was it would be to discuss what my mother needed in terms of help. She was not surprised by the outcome but disappointed by his attitude. There was mutual agreement that mother's problems and attitude weren't just because of her health issues.

Thursday is my birthday and the arrangements made are still going ahead. Still feel it would be better to spend it on my own. Expecting day to be hijacked by mother and her issues. Sorry if I appear to have backtracked on my decision, but this really is last chance saloon