Occupation: I'm a fulltime mom. By training, I'm an engineer. I worked primarily in project management and new product development for a number of years for American Express, in London. Then I got the opportunity to move to Manhattan, when I was
Occupation: Iâm a fulltime mom. By training, Iâm an engineer. I worked primarily in project management and new product development for a number of years for American Express, in London. Then I got the opportunity to move to Manhattan, when I was young and single and thought that would be fun. Here I am, 15 years later!
Family: My husband is Anthony Hayes, and we have two children. Maximilian is 8 years old and in third grade at Hawley School. Our daughter, Eleanor, is a kindergartner at Hawley.
Pets: Sadly, we have no pets now. Our cat, Boo, passed away three years ago. We still feel we canât really replace her.
How long have you lived in Newtown? Almost ten years. We were in Manhattan and then had a little spell in Jersey City. Just after my husband changed jobs, we moved to Newtown.
What do you like to do in your free time? Iâm president of the Newtown Newcomers and Neighbors Club. That takes up a chunk of my time. One of the first things I did when we moved here was to join Newcomers. We didnât have children then, so it was a great way to meet people. Thereâs something for everyone. Iâm a big reader and belong to the Newcomersâ book club. As a family, we really enjoy going to the movies, and we love the library. We take advantage of the DVD collection there.
Do you have a favorite book? It would be hard to say just one book, but as far as authors go, I like Margaret Atwood. I do like a good mystery, too, with lots of bodies piling up. My favorite mystery writer is Ian Rankin, a Scottish author, who sets all of his novels in Edinburgh.
Do you have a favorite travel destination? We donât do it as often as Iâd like to, but we do enjoy getting back to visit relatives in the UK. We also love the Adirondacks, particularly around Lake Placid. My top favorite place, that Iâve only visited once, is Australia. Iâd love to get back there, but itâs so far.
What is the best thing about Newtown? I would have to say the people. My kids have the best teachers and our neighbors are wonderful. We have a very social street, with people who help each other out.
If you could spend a day with anyone, who would you choose? My mom. She passed away pretty young, before I even met my husband. There are so many questions Iâd like to ask her, now that I have children.
Do you have a personal philosophy? When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, instead of wishing you had oranges. Lots of time, when things donât go our ways, people just complain. You need to get on with it.
Do you have a guilty pleasure? Coffee, the grande nonfat vanilla latte at Starbucks. Itâs not that I drink so much caffeine I have to cut back, but itâs the expense. I try to control it, and get it only once or twice a week.