Everything's relative I feel and though I have four children and so lots of responsibilities and fractured time, I couldn't imagine having to work on my own so far from home, and also having to work three jobs to keep going. I'm really sorry to hear about your gran PhDbug; it sounds like she was a motivational influence on your life. My sister (and best friend really, apart from my hubs) died mid-way through my PhD so I can understand what you're going through.