Left Neglected

Hey everybody?  How's it going?  Starting to feel like fall outside!  (which, in Alabama, just means that the daytime high is like 89.  And you know what?  It feels GOOD outside.)  Speaking of fall, we are getting the Teenage Banana's senior pictures made on October 1.  We are going to do them outside.  I am SUPER excited because the foliage should be beautiful just about then, AND we are taking our beagle, Tard (not his real name), to be in several of the shots.  I just can't wait!  So anyway, I finished re-reading a book by Lisa Genova entitled 'Left Neglected'.  It is about a career woman with three children (busy busy busy) who is trying to do it all.  She is in a car crash and sustains injury to the right side of her brain and this causes a condition known as 'left neglect'.  Having left neglect causes her brain to ignore everything on the left side of her body.  She can't see her arm, she can't see people who stand to her left - all of which affects her ability to dress, walk, even maneuver a wheelchair.  Sarah , the main character, struggles with her recovery and the fact that total recovery may never come.  It forces her (and her family) to rethink the way that they live.  Let me just say that the author is a neuroscientist, but she does an absolutely BRILLIANT job of making this book accessible.  She does a wonderful job of describing the condition and rehabilitation without making it too clinical, or forgetting how something like this affects not only the patient, but the patient's family.  Really, really enjoyed this book.

Also by this author is a book called 'Still Alice'.   This read is absolutely heartbreaking.  Alice, who is a professor at Harvard, is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's Disease.  I think she is diagnosed when she is about 50.  Apparently, those who are diagnosed with the early onset form, progress much more rapidly than patients that are older when diagnosed.  I enjoyed this book, too, but not as much as 'Left Neglected'.  It wasn't quite as engrossing.  If I had to pick, I think I would skip this one.  Still enjoyable, but I AM a healthcare professional, so I might have liked it just because I'm kind of nerdy that way.

 So.  Now onto my food for the day.  There is a place in Auburn called 'Chicken Salad Chick'.  All they sell is chicken salad (we in the South have elevated chicken salad to an art.  Seriously) Check out their website:

http://www.chickensaladchick.com/ 

Take a look at their menu!  It is divine!!  My favorites are:  Classic Carol (the original), Buffalo Barclay (which is chicken salad made with buffalo wing sauce...YUM) and Barbie-Q (made with a barbeque sauce).  For those of you who like a little bit of sweet in your chicken salad, they have Fancy Nancy (made with apples, pecans and grapes) or Cranberry Kelli (made with cranberries and almonds).  And OH. MY. GOODNESS.  They have this grape salad that is to die for.  I don't know what's in it, but I know I love it. 

That's all for today folks!!  Come to Auburn, we'll get some chicken salad and go to the bookstore!!  Have a good day!!