Occupation: I am retired. I am a nurse by profession. I was educated in Sweden at Skara Junior College and received my nursing degree at Gothenburg Nursing School. I met my husband when he was an exchange doctor there. I was a sales rep for a Swedish company, Claesson Company, for 12 years. I also had a craft business with a friend for two and a half years, Designs By Maggan. We made things and went to craft shows. That was fun. When my husband retired, I officially retired, too.

How Long in Newtown: I have lived in Newtown since 1969. We drove up Main Street, and it clicked. There were traffic islands with flowers on them. I was so impressed. Newtown is wonderful. It’s a great place to raise a family. Before Newtown I lived in Greenwich and in Sweden while my husband was in Vietnam. I grew up in Kvanum, Sweden.

Biggest Change Seen in Town: The traffic is incredible now, and all the building that goes on, and the size of the houses being built. Talking about changes, I wish Newtown would have a town planner so building would be controlled to a certain extent. Another change is that years ago when I went into Grand Union, I used to run into people I knew. Now I don’t know anybody. I do miss seeing people I know.

Family: My husband, Philip, and I have been married for 36 years. He is a retired physician. We have two children, Ingrid, 35, who is an obstetrician-gynecologist, and Eric, 33, who is a marketing consultant and director of photography for Burton Snowboards. We have one grandchild, Annika, who is two years old.

Pets: We have a border collie, Nicci, who is 12 years old.

Hobbies: I enjoy doing embroidery. I also like skiing and gardening.

Favorite Books and Authors: One of my favorite books from the past is William Styron’s Sophie’s Choice. I also enjoy books by Wallace Stegner. My favorite one is Crossing to Safety. It’s a very interesting book. I also loved Doris Kearns Goodwin’s The Ordinary Times about the Roosevelts and World War II. I like to read biographies. With my book club, I read Anita Diamand’s The Red Tent.

Favorite TV Show: I enjoy Jeopardy. On Sundays at 8 I enjoy C-Span’s Book Notes by Brian Lamb. He interviews authors. It is so educational and interesting. I also enjoy Masterpiece Theater and American Movie Classics.

Organizations:  I will have been a member of the Visiting Nurse Association for 30 years next year. I’ve held all kinds of positions with it. Being a nurse, I believe in it and am excited about it. For 23 years, I was a member of the Newtown Scholarship Association. I am also a former member of the Town and Country Garden Club for ten years (they did the traffic islands that so impressed me) and the Danbury Hospital Development Committee. I am a member of the Mayflower Book Club. It’s a great group.

Most Vivid Memory of Newtown: Ram’s Pasture when the pond is frozen and going ice skating with the kids. I love Main Street and the flagpole. The library is a great thing, and The Pleasance is so lovely.

Favorite Vacation Spot: St Bart’s. We’ve gone almost every year. It’s wonderful. I also enjoy going to Sweden to visit family. I have two brothers and some cousins there.

Personal Philosophy: Whatever you do in life do it to the best of your ability, and to be helpful, respectful, and understanding, and don’t rush to judgement. My father-in-law always said when he would make a toast, “The time to be happy is now, the place to be happy is here, the way to be happy is to make others happy.” I made that into an embroidery for him, and now it hangs in our home.