Occupation: I work for my husband, Robert, who is a chiropractor in Brookfield. I’m his office manager.

Family: Robert and I have been married for 26 years. We have a son, Anthony, who is 27, and our daughter, Danielle, is 26. Both went to Newtown High School.

Pets: We have three cats. Striker is 12. Sherha, we found outside in our yard, five years ago. Midnight, we just got from the local pound.

How long have you lived in Newtown? We’ve lived here for 23 years. We came here to put the kids in the Newtown schools. It was highly rated.

What do you like to do in your free time? I love to garden. I have an 8- by 48-foot garden on the side of my house. I have about 26 different vegetable plants this year. I also love to cook and bake. I taught myself how to make the cinnamon rolls like Cinnabon has. I started cooking when I was 12. I watch the Food Channel a lot.  I love animals and the  outside, and we have a lot of wildlife that visits our yard. I like to read, and I crochet.

Do you have a favorite cookbook? I’ve had the Betty Crocker Cookbook since I was a kid; but it depends on what I’m making, which cookbook I like. I like the recipes from Martha Stewart and Rick Bayless, but now we have the Internet and you can find any recipe you want.

Do you have a favorite vacation destination? My dream vacation would be to go to Hawaii. My nephew was stationed there, and said it just smells wonderful, all the time!

What is the best thing about Newtown? We liked it first because of the schools. There is a sense of community here. It’s centrally located, too, if you want to go to Boston or New York. I love the traditions here, like the tree lighting and Halloween on Main Street, and that kind of thing.

Who has been the greatest influence in your life? It was my late stepfather. He taught me how to be organized, and he taught me how to cook. He was very influential. My aunts also influenced me, about good health and nutrition, even though I didn’t appreciate it at the time. They were right.

Did you have a favorite toy, growing up? Yes, I had a doll with long, red hair, named Tressie. You pushed a button in her back and then could pull her hair up through the top of her head. Then you could brush it and do what you wanted. But one day, my younger sister cut off the hair, and left Tressie with just a stub.

Do you have a guilty pleasure? Ferris Farm ice cream. We’ve tried ice cream all over, and this is the best ice cream. I love the black raspberry, and the cinnamon, in the fall.