Occupation: I am a preschool teacher at Merry Hill Child Care Center on Queen Street. I've been a preschool teacher for 11 years, almost nine of them at Merry Hill. It's my "second" career, after raising my kids.
Occupation: I am a preschool teacher at Merry Hill Child Care Center on Queen Street. Iâve been a preschool teacher for 11 years, almost nine of them at Merry Hill. Itâs my âsecondâ career, after raising my kids.
Family: My husband Joe and I have been married for 35 years. We have three daughters. Liz is 18. She just finished her first year at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts. Nikki is 24 and lives in Pennsylvania, where she works for a pet care company. Kate is married to Charles Barglett, and they have a 15-month-old son, my little Benny. They live in Georgia.
Pets: We have two dogs, a Bichon Frise named Maya, and a Shih Tzu named Jake. Liz has a hamster, too, named Sunni.
How long have you lived in Newtown? We moved here in October of 1984.
What do you like to do in your free time? I do a lot of activities. I love visiting my friends. Iâm in my church choir in Danbury, and with the Still River Singers. We sing for people in long-term care facilities and nursing homes. I like to read and belong to a book group. I do like to watch movies. Iâm involved with a couple of spiritual groups to help myself stay grounded.
Do you have a favorite book? Recently, I read Little Bee by Chris Cleave, and Iâve been studying The Power of Now and A New Earth by Ekhart Tolle with one of my spiritual groups.
Do you have a favorite travel destination? I have to say, my favorite right now is Carrollton, Georgia, so I can visit my grandson. I also like to visit my mom and sister in Texas whenever I can. One of my goals is to travel more.
What is the best thing about Newtown? It feels like home. I was first drawn here by the beauty. Itâs quaint and pretty, and when we moved here, it was not so expensive as down county. Thereâs a sense of community here, with the Labor Day Parade, the Relay For Life, and a lot of other events. You get to know people, and thatâs what has kept us here.
If you could spend a day with anyone, who would you pick? I would like to spend it with any enlightened, spiritual teacher. It doesnât matter from what religion.
Do you have a personal philosophy? Cultivate gratitude, and cultivate the meaningful relationship with yourself and the universe, and everything falls into place. Smile, and treat people kindly and with respect.
What makes you happiest? I love being with my family, all of us together. Feeling that connection makes me happiest.