Naya was afraid. She didn’t want to stay in this hospital. She thought it seemed different from the other, regular hospitals, even though she had never stayed in any sort of hospital before. This hospital didn’t seem at all like the hospital her classmate had described after having her tonsils removed. Besides, Naya didn’t even feel sick.’
The hospital Naya has been admitted to is the psychiatric section of the Newbury hospital. Naya was taken to the hospital’s emergency room after what her parents believed to be a suicide attempt. What would cause a 7 year old to attempt a jump off the balcony of her room? That’s what Dr. Peter Gram must find out before she tries it again.
While working with Naya, Dr. Gram finds that while sleeping, Naya goes into a trance like state. In her dreams she carries on conversations with someone that only she can see. Upon waking, Naya draws pictures of her dreams including the person she talks with. In one of her pictures she draws an elephant and a young girl who’s body has been dismembered. When Dr. Gram questions Naya about the picture she tells him about the girl, the conversation she had with her and the even the girl’s name. But what do these disturbing pictures mean and who is the girl?
In an area not far from the hospital, 5th grader Janet Troy is missing. When her book bag is found on the property of Senator Thomas Bailey, the FBI sends in their best agent Leia Bines to direct the search. When Agent Bines and Dr. Gram come together they discover a connection between Janet and Naya’s drawings giving them the clues needed to hopefully find out what happened to the missing Janet.
A Circle of Souls was not only a book that kept my attention from beginning to end but also a book that enlightened me in the care of children in the psychiatric units of these special hospitals. And who better to write this story than a doctor devoted to the care of these special children… Dr. Preetham Grandhi
When I make my Sunday breakfast I do it like a robot. I give no thought to what I’m doing because I’ve done it so many times in the past. If I’m cooking bacon, I give no thought to the temperature setting on which I’m cooking. Nor do I think about when it’s time to turn it over. If I’m making scrambled eggs, I think nothing about how much milk I add to make them softer and creamer, how long do they need to cook and how often do I stir. When making toast, I never stop to ask myself “Do I butter the bread before cooking or after?” Why should I think about any of these things? I’ve done most of them since I was 6 and I’m now 58. That’s 52 years of cooking! But, I didn’t start cooking with all of this knowledge. I had to learn it.
When a young lady I know asked the question “when a recipe calls for egg yolks, can you use the whole egg?” I said no and explained why. When she asked the question “how do you separate eggs?” I told her, showed her how and gave her an egg separator. But when she asked the question “what part of the egg is the yolk?” I was floored.
We aren’t talking about a child here. We are talking about a young lady who is smart and intelligent in her own field. No her field is not cooking.
When talking to a friend about these questions I was assured that she is not alone. My friend told me about a young lady who was told to separate 2 eggs. She did. She placed them away from each other. Again, this was the reaction of an intelligent young lady.
Unless we have mothers, aunts, grandmothers or someone to teach us the basics of cooking, then how do we learn? As I said above, I cook like a robot that’s been programmed to make each step. And when I think about it, I have been programmed by the teachers of my past.
So, the next time you fry up bacon, scramble an egg or make toast, slow down and notice the steps you take. Then ask yourself. Have I passed these steps on to my children?
When my grandson was born I had the opportunity to spend a few days with my daughter and family in New Jersey. My daughter had planned a dinner after the christening for about 30 people. She wanted me to make some southern dishes and especially my Chicken ‘n Dumplins. I worked up a menu using that as my main dish. I made southern potato salad (no vinegar), southern slaw, banana pudding, and of course southern wine (sweet ice tea). By the end of the night every bite of the chicken ‘n dumplins were gone as well as everything else. It was really a lot of fun watching this group of people enjoy home cooking from the south.
This is also where I met a friend of my son-in-law named John. We talked for an hour about the south and the difference in our cooking. Later my daughter came in and asked me if I knew who I had been talking with. I told her he said his name was John. She then told me that he goes by J3. He played with Tommy Lee. My first brush with famous people! And he enjoyed my southern cooking!
Now, if you would like to have my recipe for “Southern Chicken ‘n Dumplins” visit my website. It’s found on page 118 of my book Stir, Laugh, Repeat.
Stir, Laugh, Repeat can also be found through Amazon or my publisher Tate Publishing Enterprises, LLC
ISBN #978-1-60462-818-0
