I retired from Kildare library service in December 2010. Making the decision to retire early was a frightening prospect, something of a leap in the dark, and caused me much soul searching. I had seen the notebooks submitted in previous years

and was very impressed with the level of creativity and artistic skill displayed. Consequently, when invited to submit a notebook, I felt I had nothing significant to say and even if I could think of anything, I didn't feel I had the skill to express it in an artistic manner. On 'mature reflection' I decided that since my first year of retirement had been so exciting it might be an idea to chronicle the process of deciding to retire and the subsequent fulfilment of that year. To my surprise I found myself becoming braver about expressing my thoughts through collage, water colour and poetry. My attempts, although completely amateur, gave me tremendous pleasure. My 'retirement journal' quickly became an enjoyable daily activity as ideas developed. The experience was thoroughly enjoyable and valuable and the reaction to my notebook has amazed and delighted me. My retirement journey seems to have resonated with quite a few people both retired and about to retire. Thank you for the opportunity and the challenge.