Lawrence Community Matters August 2015

Commun ty Matters Lawrence Presbyterian Manor

Resident proves a librarian’s work is never complete Mary Burchill may have started her career as a librarian later in life, but she has continued to work to make good books available to others well beyond her retirement.

Mary Burchill

It all started after she divorced her first husband in 1976. “I always wanted to be a librarian so I went back to school in Emporia, got my degree and started work at the University of Kansas Law School as a cataloger,” said Mary.

She worked in that role for several years before moving up through the ranks until she served as the associate director for 15 years.

“Library work is really very interesting to me,” said Mary. “The teaching was fun – it was totally different than teaching literature.

We taught how to look up the law.

If the lawyers look up the info and it’s wrong, it’s not good. We make sure they’re getting the correct info and know where to find the info.

The fun part of was interacting with the students. Law students are grad students who are working BURCHILL, continued on page 2

August 2015

Eyes on the prize

Resident Maggie Carttar reads for those who can’t For some, reading the local paper is simply part of the morning routine. For Lawrence Presbyterian Manor resident Maggie Carttar, it’s her way of contributing to the world and making it a better place.

For the past 20 years, Maggie has volunteered her time reading for Audio-Reader, a reading and information service for blind, visually impaired Maggie Carttar and print disabled individuals in Kansas and western Missouri. The network consists of around 300 volunteers who read daily newspapers, magazines and best-selling books on the air and on the Internet, 24 hours a day, and offers automated newspaper readings by telephone.

Maggie goes in every Tuesday and Thursday morning as a way to do something for others.

“I enjoy the feeling of doing something and contributing something that makes the world better and more knowledgeable,” said Maggie. “Once you quit working, all days are the same. So all of a sudden, Tuesday and Thursday I am doing my share for that day and contributing to somebody’s happiness, and it’s a phenomenal feeling.”

Maggie credits two friends for getting her involved with the program after telling her how great it was. She couldn’t agree with them more.

“The camaraderie is fantastic,” said Maggie. “I think we all feel like we’re doing something worthwhile, and that’s the tie that binds.”

By 10 a.m. every morning, the Audio-Reader volunteers have to have the local papers read from front to back, including the ads. Maggie often finds herself reading the opinion section of the Kansas City Star – her biggest joy and possibly her biggest challenge.

“You’re a reporter.You can’t show likes and dislike, pro thoughts or negative thoughts.You just read the news, and boy is that not easy. I CARTTAR, continued on page 2

BURCHILL, continued from page 1

toward their juris doctor. They’re smart kids and you’re training them to do some good stuff.”

When Mary and her second husband Brower moved to Lawrence Presbyterian Manor in 2000, Mary was asked to help in the library and continues to work to keep a good collection that changes frequently.

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Community Matters is published monthly for residents and friends of Lawrence Presbyterian Manor by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at PresbyterianManors.org.

Rhonda Parks, executive director Angela Fonseca, marketing and administrative services director To submit or suggest articles, contact afonseca@pmma.org.

Telephone: 785-841-4262 Fax: 785-841-0923 Address: 1429 Kasold Dr., Lawrence, KS 66049-3425 Our mission: We provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.

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Community Matters August 2015

“We’re not a research library; we’re just a library where you read for interest and fun,” said Mary. “Everything is donated by people who live here or outside the manor. I also sort through the large print books that come into the Friends of the Library sale (through the public library). I get a lot of good stuff that way, too. We have a committee at the Manor of about six people who meet once a month and look over the books that have been donated to decide which we want. That’s good, because we have different ideas on what people want to read. We try to keep a balance.”

The collection at Presbyterian Manor is about 1,000 books and includes fiction, non-fiction, Kansas history and geography, bird books and a growing collection of memoirs written by Presbyterian Manor residents.

“A library situation is a fun place to work. It’s an ever-changing, very dynamic place.”

Mary and her husband Brower have been married since 1979. She has one son and he has two children. They also have three grandchildren – one who just became a lawyer. Mary enjoys reading mysteries. Her favorite author is Louise Penny from Canada. She also likes to read about history and enjoys genealogy.

Coming up in Community Matters How has music been important to you? In an upcoming issue of Community Matters we will be focusing on music and its role in making our lives better. If you’ve got a story about what music has meant to you, contact Marketing Director Angela Fonseca, and your story may be selected for an upcoming Community Matters newsletter.

CARTTAR, continued from page 1

read the opinion section of the KC Star, which I love to do, and I love to hear people’s opinions. I think I’m pretty good at reading the ones that I am negative to, and read them the same way I read things that are vital and necessary. It’s a feeling of achievement to have.”

Audio-Reader is a free service to anyone in the listening area who is unable to read normal printed material. To learn more, visit reader.ku.edu or call 800-772-8898.

Why you should stop stressing over stress

By Jeanne Dorin for Next Avenue

We’ve all heard the bad news. Stress can lead to a panoply of problems, from depression and fatigue to cancer and heart disease, and perhaps, as recent research suggests, premature death.

The unrelenting onslaught of information about these dangers can itself create more stress, as we worry about our health and longevity on top of woes over jobs, finances, college-age children with limited job prospects and caring for aged parents.

But now comes — at last — news that may bring your anxiety level down a notch or two. Despite research documenting the potential dangers of stress, it is not a foregone conclusion that you will get sick or come down with any of the diseases or ailments associated with this problem.

According to Sheldon Cohen, a professor of psychology and director of the Laboratory for the Study of Stress, Immunity and Disease at Carnegie Mellon University, we humans actually have quite a bit of resistance and resilience. “Most people who are stressed out can cope with it,” suggests Cohen.

Who Suffers Most This is not to imply that Cohen, one of the nation’s leading stress researchers, is pooh-poohing others’ findings. But he suggests that stress is one of a number of factors that influence an individual’s prognosis for good health, including genetics and environmental factors.

“Stress is one of many things that contributes to health and wellness over time,” says Cohen. And often, when stressors are eliminated, the body slowly recovers from its impacts.

So who tends to be most negatively affected by stress?

Chronic stress seems to be most damaging, including stress that begins early in life, such as childhood trauma.

But stress is also an individual matter, and one person’s stress may be another’s motivating challenge.

An important marker to heed: “Stress is damaging when the level of stress exceeds one’s ability to cope with it,” says Cohen.

What Works To Ease Stress In his research, Cohen has found that the biggest variable for most people in dealing with stress is the availability of social support systems, which provides the means for individuals to deal with stressors. A meaningful chat with a good pal over a cup of coffee can help reduce stress.

“Find something that works for you,” says UCLA geriatric psychiatrist Dr. Helen Lavretsky. Her new book, Resilience and Aging, documents how a person’s negative reaction to stress can be offset by enhanced resilience — the ability to bounce back from adversity and maintain individual biological and psychological equilibrium. “If it’s humor or feeling cozy at home, that’s fine. Joy is essential. Spiritual connections, whether religious or to nature, give people another tool to offload their worries,” she says.

Lavretsky, director of the Late Life Stress and Wellness Research Program at UCLA, says her life changed after starting yoga, which demonstrated to her the importance of having balance in life. “Understanding that balance is essential,” says Lavretsky. “Life is stressful.

You have to prioritize and not sweat the small stuff.”

“Don’t worry about how long you will live,” she advises.

“Make sure you are healthy and enjoy today. Don’t worry about the sky falling.”

Copyright© 2015 Next Avenue, a division of Twin Cities Public Television Inc. Lawrence Presbyterian Manor

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Community Matters August 2015