Occupation: I’m a homemaker. I’ve been at home with my kids for 11 years.

Family: My husband, Tim, and my two children. Elizabeth is 11 years old and Quinn is 8½ years old.

Pets: Our English springer spaniel, Cassidy, just passed away last November, two days before Thanksgiving. She was 14½ years old. It was very hard. We’ll get another dog, but we’re not quite ready yet.

How long in Newtown? We moved to Newtown from Redding in June of 1998, so we’ve been here for nine years.

What do you like to do in your free time? I love to cook. I’m not a baker, but I am a cook. I love planning meals and giving parties. I was collecting cookbooks for a while, but now so many recipes are right online. I also run. This year was the first time in eight years that I haven’t run the Boston Marathon. But I’ll do half-marathons two or three times a year. When I run, it’s like my own secret little world and I get to see what’s going on all over. I love just being outside and hiking, too.

Do you have a favorite cookbook? My favorite is probably The Best Recipes by Cook’s Illustrated. I also use Caprial’s a lot. It is written by a woman who owns a restaurant in Oregon. The Barefoot Contessa is a favorite, too. I always give copies of The New Basics, The Silver Palate, and Silver Palate Good Times as a wedding gift. They are great, basic cookbooks.

Do you have a favorite travel destination? Tim and I do travel a lot. I like to try new foods and see new places. But I would have to say my favorite place is our summer place in Maine. We have a family place on Great Pond in the Belgrade Lakes region and about 40 of my relatives go there every August. There’s no electricity, no telephone, and it’s all old-fashioned. It’s our kids’ favorite place in the whole world.

What is the best thing about Newtown? It sounds so cliché, but I’d say the people and the scenery. We have made wonderful friends in Newtown.

If you could spend a day with anyone, who would it be? My children and my family. I love spending time with them. It would be neat to go back in time and meet my ancestors; but I think I’d choose to spend time with my children.

What is your personal philosophy? Always look at the glass half full. I always look for the good in any situation, even if it’s not so easy.

Where do you see yourself in 20 years? I’d like to be traveling, and hopefully I’ll still be healthy. And I’d still like to be trying new foods.