Occupation: I’m a stay-at-home mom, and I’m on the Newtown Cultural Arts Commission, which feels like a job. I’m coordinator for the Sunday Cinema Series at Edmond Town Hall.

Family: My husband is Ed, and we’ve been married 22 years. We have two boys. Ryan is a 2015 Newtown High School graduate, and will go to Sacred Heart University this fall. Timmy is 16 and will be a junior at Newtown High School in the fall.

How long have you lived in Newtown? I grew up here, since age 5 until I graduated from Newtown High School in 1985. We lived in Danbury for about 13 years after we got married, and moved back to Newtown in 2005.

What do you like to do in your free time? The Cultural Arts Commission takes up a lot of my time. I’ve been weaving for a couple of years, though, and I enjoy that. I do a lot of different art things. I go through phases. Currently, I’m knitting and weaving. I don’t have as much time to read as I did, but I like to listen to books on tape.

What have you recently read? I read The Outlanders, most recently. It’s historical fiction with time travel. I did like it quite a bit.

Do you have a favorite travel destination? Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We go there almost every year. The water is warm, the sands are clean and not too hot, and the waves are just right for body surfing and boogie boarding.

What is the best thing about Newtown? It is home, to me. It’s like Cheers — everybody knows your name. It really is like everybody is your friend. My parents still live in town, so we get to see them a lot. One of the best things is the arts scene here. If you have an idea and want to do it, you can.

What was the best thing about growing up in Newtown? The Dickinson Park pool. I learned to swim there. We used to watch the Fourth of July fireworks there, and I went on dates there.

Who has been the greatest influence in your life? My parents, Dave and Marge Nelson. They’ve always been incredibly supportive of me, and are, to this day. In college, they even supported me when I decided to pursue theater arts and moved to Cincinnati, where I got my BA from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. Whatever we’re doing, whatever our kids are doing, my parents are there.

Did you have a favorite toy, growing up? I used to love riding my bike. We had a nice block and you could ride and ride and not be too far from home. Eventually, they let me ride all the way to the pool at Dickinson Park.

Do you have a guilty pleasure? I love to go to lunch with friends. I love food too much, and I love my friends. You have to spend quality time to maintain friendships, and lunch is a great time to do that.