What’s in a year?
2024 was my first year as a retiree, and I must say I fully enjoyed it!
2023 saw me getting a new hip and a new knee, so with the big issues sorted, I went on to enjoy life.
I spent my time reading, making lace, gardening, becoming a patient advocate, and paddling.






A few highlights:
- I graduated from the IPPOSI Patient Education programme in April. I joined the Rare Disease Patient Forum, joined a HIQA-led project as patient partner and participated in a Patient Dragon Den.
- I signed up for the EUPATI patient education programme this autumn.
- I attended the whole Kinsale International Lace Festival in March and learned a bit of Youghal Lace
- a trip to Timișoara in April, getting to spend time with my children and good friends
- a visit to Culloville in N. Ireland in June, followed by the Clones Lace Summer School
- I volunteered again at the West Cork Chamber Music Festival in Bantry
- I took a needle lace class online with Maggie Hensel Brown, as part of the OIDFA virtual congress
- I attended all kind of events where I showcased lace (Bloom, the Ploughing Championship and Knitting and Stitching in Belfast)
- we went to Bologna for a week in September. I was dreaming to go to Italy in the autumn for a long time!
- I read 70 books in 2024 – although my target 100. These were physical books, Kindle books, audiobooks- everything I came across. There were long periods with no reading – I was too busy. But I listened to books while gardening, sowing, ironing – and I loved every minute. I didn’t manage to finish Thomas Mann’s Magic Mountain despite my best efforts. Finished Middlemarch though!
January 24 2025 10:15 pm | Limerick