Occupation: I’m an adjunct professor of English. I’ve been at WestConn, University of Bridgeport, and Housatonic Community College recently. I teach American Literature, English Composition, and English as a second language. I am also a volunteer in charge of US membership, with FAUSA [FAWCO Alumni USA, Federation of American Women Overseas], a nonprofit. We are part of the UN 100 organizations for bettering the lives of women and children in third-world countries. Right now we are involved in a four-year campaign to try to raise $1 million for water in these countries.

Family: My husband is Rory, and we will have been married for 18 years this October.

Pets: We have a miniature dachshund, Daisy Mae. She’s 12 years old. She’s still very lively and full of pep. She keeps us happy.

How long have you lived in Newtown? We have been in Sandy Hook for just one year. We were in Basel, Switzerland, for seven years, and in New Milford for four years before that. Both of us are originally from Iowa.

What do you like to do in your free time? My number one thing is photography. I love taking pictures of nature and my dog. I love landscapes best. I’m an avid reader. We have a tandem, a bicycle built for two, so we love to bike. I’m a gardener, too. I love to be outdoors. I do the newsletter for the Newcomers & Neighbors Club, and I just joined the Garden Club of Newtown. Our yard is just a blank space, so I put out an SOS to the club members for anyone who wanted to divide out flowers. It has been such a joy to meet the people in this group and see their gardens.

Do you have a favorite book or author? Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises; F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby; and Arthur Miller, Death of A Salesman. I worked with a woman who lived in Roxbury and she knew the café where Arthur Miller would hang out. I told her I had to go there! So I went with her, and there he was, sitting at the counter with his cup of coffee. I walked up to him and asked him to sign my copy of Death of A Salesman. He grunted and shrugged, but signed it. I thanked him for sharing his literature with the world. He just shrugged his shoulders again. I was in awe. That was in about 2000.

Do you have a favorite travel destination? Sicily. The entire island is magical. It is rich in history and culture and the people are unbelievable. They’re unique and friendly. And the food and wine are spectacular.

What is the best thing about Newtown? The people are extremely friendly and warm. It feels like a little city in a small town. I’m impressed with the culture here. There are so many wonderful things here.

Who has been the greatest influence in your life? Definitely my parents. My dad is a World War II veteran, and my mom was a World War II nurse. They met and married after the war. My dad told me, “Always work hard and never give up.” My mother always said, “Be kind to yourself and others.”

Do you have a personal philosophy? Three quotes hang over my desk: “Cultivation of the mind is as necessary as food is to the body.” That’s Cicero. The second is, “Understand the value of your time and the importance of balance in your life.” I made up the third, “Determine it, believe it, and you will achieve it.”

Do you have a guilty pleasure? Wine and coffee. They don’t go together, but they’re both good. And good friends and conversation.