Occupation: I have been the Library Media Associate at Newtown High School for the last 18 years. It has been such a great place to work. I will miss my wonderful colleagues when I retire June 1st.

Family: My husband is Robert, our daughters are Zoë and Aria, and our soon-to-be sons-in-law are Loyd and Dan, respectively.

Pets: We have Siamese cats: Kikkoman, Wasabi, and Wonton. All are rescues.

How long have you lived in Newtown? Twenty-five years. But we’re still dyed-in-the-wool New Yorkers.

What do you like to do in your free time? I love to garden both vegetables and flowers. I enjoy making jewelry. I am also looking forward to painting again when we’ve moved to our forever home in June. Robert and I like to visit museums, see live music, and visit local breweries.

What is your favorite book? A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. I just finished reading Louise Erdich’s new book The Sentence. She is an amazing writer.

What is your favorite travel destination? Brant Lake in the Adirondacks. Up until 10 years ago we’d been staying there a week or two every summer since 1964. Our older daughter Zoë will be having her wedding there in November.

What is the best part about Newtown? The great schools, beautiful fall foliage, and Sandy Hook Center is cute as a button.

What organizations are you part of in Newtown? I was a Girl Scout leader for five years and a member of SCAN for 17.

Who has been the greatest influence in your life? My mom, she taught me (almost) everything. She taught me how to draw, she taught me how to sew, and when I was in high school I would rush home off the school bus so that I’d be home in time to watch the Galloping Gourmet with mom. We’d furiously write down the recipes as it was live TV.

If you could spend the day with one person, who would you choose and why? Stephen King. I’d like to hear a new, off the cuff, story straight from the author’s mouth.

Who is your favorite musical artist? Prince or Bowie or Stevie Wonder.

What is the greatest piece of advice you have ever been given? Always carry cash so you can always get yourself out of a jam. Also keep a subway token taped to your wallet (No longer applicable).

What is something you cannot live without? Being close to a city where there is art and music. Connecticut has an excellent collection of museums.

What is your proudest accomplishment? Whenever a painting of mine wins an award in a show.

What is your favorite TV show? My favorite TV show was Star Trek. My dad made sure to catch the 5:30 train out of Grand Central so he could be home in time to watch with us as we enjoyed our dinner on TV trays.

What is your favorite food? My favorite food is anything Asian. I’ve learned to cook most of the dishes we like. It’s great to have a resource like Danbury for specialty grocery items.

If you could travel to the past or future, which would you choose and why? I wouldn’t want to travel to the past, I know what happened, but I also wouldn’t like to skip ahead to the future because it’s nice to have something to look forward to. I might, however, be willing to skip ahead to June right now.