Occupation: I am an art educator and fine artist. I started out teaching art in Sherman for 17 years. I have taught in Ridgefield for the past 13 years and I am currently teaching at Scotland Elementary School. I still love teaching. It is so intensive and immediate and the day goes by so quickly. My fine arts work is a very solitary experience. I couldn’t see doing one without the other.

How Long In Newtown: In 1977 I bought our house that at the time was an 800-square-foot ranch. I moved here because of the location and the school system and to be able to have a horse. I looked for two years before buying a house. Newtown has been good to us. It has been important for the girls and I to stay in Newtown. I’m very lucky.

Biggest Change You Have Seen In Town: Development has pushed the horse people out by taking the riding and hiking trails away. I used to drive my buggy on the roads, now it’s too dangerous. Too many people driving too fast and they drive you right off the road. My buggy hasn’t been out for three years.

Family: I am a single mom. I have two daughters, Lindsay, who is a junior at Virginia Intermont pursuing a double major in equine and digital photo imaging, and Alyssa, who will begin her freshman year at Bridgewater College in northern Virginia studying psychology and education.

Pets: I own four Morgan horses: Bounce, Leah, Squiget, and Toddy Hollow Florence. We had a 36-year-old Morgan named Ben that we recently had to have put down. I had Ben for 30 years; he lived through two generations of neighborhood kids. Parents would bring their little kids down to ride him and to learn to canter on him. He died with his head in my lap. He didn’t have any teeth left but he still had character.

Hobbies: Riding, I don’t compete anymore except for hunter pace. I’ve done every one of them from the first one in town except for 18 years ago when I had my daughter Alyssa. I trail ride for pleasure every chance I get. In the winter we ride at Fairfield Beach. I also putter around my yard and garden.

Favorite Music: I play a lot of instrumental music in the classroom and in my studio. I love the soundtrack from Pirates of the Caribbean to get you up and moving. I know this really dates me but I clean the house to Meatloaf. When I clean the barn it has to be country because the horses voted on that.

Favorite Vacation Spot: I’ve never been on a real vacation. But I used to teach art classes on Star Island off the coast of Maine and I liked that.

Organizations: I belong to the Newtown Bridle Lands Association, The American Academy of Equine Artists Association, and the American Morgan Horse Association. I serve as a teacher on the advisory board of The Aldrich Museum in Ridgefield. I am a member of the National and Connecticut Art Education Associations. I am also a member of the Newtown Methodist Church.

Most Vivid Memory About Newtown: In 1978 when I first moved into my little house there was a blizzard. All the roads were closed and the power was out. I had a wood stove so all the neighbors came to our house because of the wood stove and we ate Mulligan stew for four days; it was delicious. We really got to know our neighbors. I hitched Ben up to the sleigh and took neighbors for a ride. Everybody I took out in the sleigh was speechless because the snow was so beautiful.

Personal Philosophy: This is my philosophy about teaching and living: We’re all in this together and anything that we can do to make the world a better place is where we should start. That’s our purpose for being here.