Occupation: I am a full-time mom. Before my children were born, I was marketing director for Eschenbach Optik, a Ridgefield company that makes magnifiers and low vision aids.

I grew up in Salem, Mass., where my parents still live. As a student, I was a tour guide at the Salem Witch House. Salem was a simpler town then, quieter and not so commercial.

I attended Boston College. When my husband, Andy, was a law student at Boston University, his apartment was across the hall from mine. My three roommates and I didn’t know who was going to land him, but I was the lucky one.

 

How Long In Newtown: We were married in 1990 and we lived in Milford at first. In January 1996, we moved to Newtown to our home on Hanover Road. It was just before a huge snowstorm, which I’ll always remember.

 

Biggest Change You Have Seen In Town: We’ve lived here almost eight years so I guess I haven’t seen that much change, besides the obvious fact of the continued building boom. But Andy grew up in Weston, and he remembers riding horses over here when he was a boy. You could ride all over the town in those days and you can’t do that anymore.

Family: My husband Andy and I have three children. They are Harrison, 8, who is a third grader at Hawley School, Rachel, 6, who is a first grader at Hawley School, and Andrew, whom we call Andrew so as not to confuse him with Andy. He’s 3 and goes two days a week to the Wesley Learning Center. That’s just enough school for him right now.

 

Hobbies: I love gardening, flowers and making rock gardens. It’s been fun working with a challenging rock outcropping in front of our house that you can see from two sides.

Also, I do a lot of things with the children, like being a Brownie leader and an assistant basketball coach. I played basketball in school when my dad was a basketball coach for Parks and Rec, so it brings back lots of happy memories.

 

Pets: We have an orange cat named Tigger.

 

Favorite TV Show, Movie, Book: My all-time favorite movie is The Sound of Music. I don’t go to movies much right now. If my dad is in town, he and Andy go to the movies and my mom and I stay home with the children and we do our own thing.

It is hard to find time to read, but I couldn’t put down The Red Tent by Anita Diamant.

Organizations: I used to be involved in the Republican Town Committee, where Andy serves as an alternate. That ended when my third child was born.

The Newtown Newcomers’ Club was fantastic when we first moved here. I found playgroups right away for my children and met some very nice people.

 

Most Vivid Memory About Newtown: What I will always remember about Newtown is the Labor Day Parade. And I’ll remember the good friends we have made here. We never want to leave. We’re not movers. We like to set down roots.

Another fond memory is of sledding with our neighbors in the backyard. We have a hill that goes down to a tiny brook, which the kids love.

 

Favorite Vacation Spot: We go to Disney World in Orlando, Fla., because both grandparents have places down there. And we love Cape Cod, especially Easton, which is on the quiet side.

 

Personal Philosophy: I try to always see the positive side of everything, to remember the big picture, and think how lucky I am in so many ways. My job as a parent is full-time, and it can be a lot taking care of a home and three children. But then I remember that’s what I wanted to do –– and I’m very grateful. And it is important to me to pray every day.

Snapshot: Michele Buzzi