Date: Fri 06-Dec-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDREA

Quick Words:

snapshot-Sandy-Ferris

Full Text:

SNAPSHOT SANDY FERRIS

Occupation: I clean a few houses - I've been doing that three or four years. I

do my crafts, and I take care of my kids and my husband.

Family: My husband, John Ferris, 36 - we've been married 13 years; and two

daughters, Krystal, she's 10 , and Ashley, she's 8.

Pets: We have a lot of pets. [Between our house and the farm] we have cows,

three horses, two pigs, two rabbits, two chickens, two cats, one dog, a guinea

pig, and some fish. My mom and dad have a farm right down the road on Pole

Bridge - 44 acres. They're the Staudingers. The farm is called Lazy Acres.

That's where I grew up. I gave each of my kids $10 when we were at the

Bridgewater Fair, and my daughter got chickens. They're like cats, they'll sit

on your shoulder. She named them Rosie and Rocky.

How long in Newtown: 33 years.

Biggest change in town: The people - too many. It's not the small town that it

used to be. Too much traffic. It used to be a "nice quiet town with a

flagpole" - that's how people referred to it. Newtown is not as pretty because

they're building on it.

Hobbies: My crafts - my mom and I do that together. We sew dolls, santas,

snowmen. We stay right here in Newtown to sell our crafts. We call it Country

Collectibles. I like horseback riding. We just got two free horses the other

day. We all ride - my daughters and my mom. We ride up on the farm. There are

some real nice trails along Lake Zoar but we don't go there now with the

hunters. And I love to garden - flowers and my yard. I like shopping and going

to craft shows. We like to go to country fairs all around - even in Maine. We

go every weekend in summer. We go to tractor pulls - my husband enters those.

It's our family thing.

Favorite flower: I really like day lilies and have them in back of our shed. I

like any flowers as long as it's a perennial.

Favorite place outdoors in Newtown: I do like going to Hawley Pond to feed the

ducks; I take the kids there. But mostly the farm - you can go there and have

complete silence.

Favorite food: I like steak. Steak and potatoes, and corn on the cob. That's

my favorite. The heck with pastries. I'd rather have a 10 oz steak anytime.

Personal philosophy: I'm here today, I could be gone tomorrow. I might as well

do what I want today. My brother died when he was 16 and that changed my whole

family's outlook on life. Don't put off what you want to do today - do it!