Occupation: I’m a retired State of Connecticut teacher. I taught French and Latin, mostly at Bethel High School, and retired seven years ago.

Family: My husband Richard and I have three grown children. Michael and our daughter-in-law, Carla, have two sons. Max is 9 years old, and Oliver is 7. They live in Boston. Our daughter Melissa Ansman and her husband, Craig, live in Newtown and have a daughter, Gabrielle, who is 2 ½ years old and their second daughter, Elise, was just born this past April 16. Our daughter Shana Gibney and her husband, Justin, live in Brookfield.

Pets: We have our dear Cammi, our cat. She’s about 17 years old and doing very well.

How long have you lived in Newtown? We’ve lived here for almost 24 years.

What do you like to do in your free time? At this point, photography. It became my new hobby when I retired. I’m a member of Candlewood Camera Club of Danbury, and I’m co-president of Flagpole Photographers in Newtown. I just got into photography.  I love the technology and it’s very stimulating. It’s an exciting age to live in. I never dreamed I would get so involved. I thought I was just going to take pictures of my grandson. I do a lot of nature photography. We spend winters in Florida and there are so many opportunities for nature photography there. Nature has always been one of my refuges. I keep a journal, and I’ve been an avid reader my whole life.

Do you have a favorite author? Margaret Atwood and Isabel Allende are two of my favorite authors. I like all of the novels by Margaret Atwood, that I’ve read, so much. I think my ultimate favorite by Isabel Allende was Portraits in Sepia.

Do you have a favorite travel destination? We have been to Europe several times. Of course, I love France. We’ve been to Italy, England, and Switzerland, and I like them all. Europe is so interesting the comparisons and contrasts to America. There is so much history there.

What is the best thing about Newtown? The people, and the natural beauty of Newtown. The historical buildings and places have been preserved and are beautiful. Our children went through the schools here, and they were great. Newtown offers so much in so many ways.

If you could spend a day with anyone, who would you choose? My mother. She passed away a long time ago. I’d love to have another day with her. I wish there was more I could’ve said to her before she left. I owe her a lot.

Do you have a personal philosophy? One is, “It is what it is.” And an addendum to that, “Deal with it.” Those two little sentences, to me, say a lot.

What makes you laugh? My husband makes me laugh, and Jon Stewart makes me laugh.