Joan Muyskens Pursley
Friends of the Library (FOL) is hosting a jigsaw puzzle contest in the RR Library on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 22 and 23. You are invited to form a team of three, sign up in the library for a time slot (10 a.m. or 2 p.m.), then choose a 500-piece puzzle and see how fast you can complete the puzzle. Members of the fastest team will receive $25 gift certificates to the Wildhorse Grill. First and second runners-up will receive either a book bag or a cup from KERA.
Besides having fun, you will be improving your memory. According to research (the MacArthur study), mind-flexing activities such as doing jigsaw puzzles can reduce chances of developing memory loss, dementia, and even Alzheimer’s Disease by an amazing third! Why? Because doing a jigsaw puzzle uses both sides of the brain simultaneously.
When putting together a puzzle, you use the left, analytical side of your brain to see the separate pieces and attempt to sort them out logically. You use your right brain hemisphere, the creative side, to see the big picture and work intuitively. This activity creates actual connections between the left and right sides, as well as connections between individual brain cells. These connections increase the ability to learn, to comprehend, and to remember. Putting even just a piece or two into a jigsaw puzzle encourages the production of dopamine, a brain chemical that increases learning and memory.
Members of the FOL Puzzle Palooza Contest committee are Rene Spirock, Shirley McManus, Marti Harnly, Betty Gardner, Judy Field, and Joan Pursley. FOL is an official club of Robson Ranch and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It was founded two years ago to support our all-volunteer library. Membership dues ($10 per year) help pay for special programs and needed supplies. There is a membership box in the library, making it easy to join or renew membership.
The upcoming Puzzle Palooza Contest is a no-lose event. Even if your team isn’t the fastest, you will have improved your brain’s connections and had a fun time, and maybe made some new friends. So, stop in the library today and sign up to participate. If more tables or time slots are needed, they will be added.