For Christmas Eve and Christmas day A 2nd album of beautiful traditional Chritmas songs -- Joan Baez from t1966 original vinyl;mine gone; thought to cf 1990s cd copy. Vinyl vastly superior sound feel; just exquisite. www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uSJ...

A Christmas movie to add to your pantheon of significant classics: revised blog essay from three years ago ellenandjim.wordpress.com/2025/12/22/t...

Still listening Downton Xmas Julian Overden a marvelous Irish tenor, Elizabeth McGovern pleasing light soprana, Jim Carter recites ‘Twas the night before Christmas …. Traditional carols/choral. Watched 1st Xmas Holdovers: Giamatti & Payne, Randolph, Sessa. Don't miss www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0DM...

December 21, 2025 open.substack.com/pub/heatherc... " Madison it is "fundamentally important to make sure the government kept away from religion ..." Jefferson: "Legitimate [govt] reach[es] actions only, not [religious] opinions.” Congress must build “a wall of separation between Church & State.”

Ellen'sDaily Solstice Poem by Margaret Atwood This is the solstice, the still point of the sun, its cusp and midnight, the year's threshold and unlocking, where the past lets go of and becomes the future; the place of caught breath

December 20, 2025 open.substack.com/pub/heatherc... Truth redacted -- Epstein files

My MRI said the 3 ministrokes made no fundamental change, but the doctor admitted a crude test catching only major (visible things). She thinks for a while don't walk outside unless accompanied by someone. Inside I walk slowly because left leg lame, right knee arhritic, lower back left arthritic.

Daily News: How I'm coping Changing a lifetime habits. I keep radios going, NPR or WAMA for company on 2, the others weta classical. I have 4 transistor radios scattered strategically through the house; an expensive radio & turntable set up now attached to speakers for the first time in arts.

A Few Good Memories open.substack.com/pub/steady/p... Rather's memories of the Reiners are beautiful

I tried to send Christmas card electronically to mylong-time good friend (was my student) Thao, her husband Jeff and their little boy, William. It was "blocked" as from Canada!

Sent 40 electronic "A Christmas Rescue"s (Jacquie Lawson) to friends. Bought a Paddington Bear, He sits/stands instantly recognizable from dress, cardboard sign (like White's Swan w/Trumpet, Izzy's favorite book at age 7) Found Christmas songs Downton Abbey - to play on my CD player...

So you thought I would at long last give over commemorating the birthday. Not a bit of it reveriesunderthesignofausten.wordpress.com/2025/12/16/f...

Why Americans are going batsh*t over the cost of living open.substack.com/pub/robertre... Plus tariffs (=import taxes are paid by consumer)

I must reread

Blog on putting up a Chrstmas tree first time since my stroke;not quite a different , almost so (garbled sentences, typos unconscious utterances gone) so, try again: istill about my friend's generosity & the centrality of the evergreen tree to me austenreveries.wordpress.com/2025/12/12/i...

How kind generous my friend MaryLee. With her car, & her driving, enabled to buy a lovely tree after all. Laura carried it, stood it up, Izzy retrieved ornaments and our soft and lit-up (Colin my penguin) friends. It's been three years austenreveries.wordpress.com/2025/12/12/i...

December 10, 2025 open.substack.com/pub/heatherc... Reassuring Trump's regime doesn't repudiate, but 2 blown up boat survivors nearly imprisoned ib torture prison worryiong. Through ICE US a police state ethnic cleansing anyone not white and poor. Most ordinary whites seem not to realize or silent.

December 9, 2025 open.substack.com/pub/heatherc... Trump & MAGA believe they can erase economic reality by lies. She explains all the instruments they will use. Omits ratcheting up of understandable fear (middle class & whites) & terror (all non-whites exc super rich) to hold out hope methods fail

Profile in Awfulness: Tom Cotton open.substack.com/pub/borowitz... Struck by egregious lies about evidence to show blown up boats danger to US, dozens murdered drug dealers. There's none anywhere; and some showing they are ordinary fishermen, boats headed in other directions. He's just shameless

Who’s the Last Person in the World to Deserve the Nobel Peace Prize? open.substack.com/pub/robertre... A list of Trump's continual acts of war (terror, cruelty everywhere) Reich: what a strong malignant narcissist can accomplish when untethered from reality.

Who’s the Last Person in the World to Deserve the Nobel Peace Prize? open.substack.com/pub/robertre... A list of Trump's continual acts of war (terror, cruelty everywhere) Reich: what a strong malignant narcissist can accomplish when untethered from reality.

December 7, 2025 open.substack.com/pub/heatherc... It's Blowing up & killing of people in boats (not a shred of evidence produced anywhere) near Venezuela by Trump and Hegseth iserious escalation unconstitutional, illegal acts (ntil aproved by Trump's ssupreme court Ellen

December 5, 2025 open.substack.com/pub/heatherc... Worrying: US aligned aggresive colonialist, family "words"=heterosexual white; no "climate change" & ideologies interfering w/capitalism (targeted tax, regulations)," distorted Monroe doctrine (US runs west hemisphere "reward/punish"). Read it

Trump’s Monument to Corruption open.substack.com/pub/robertre... Tear it down. Then rebuild the East building just as it was

The unexpected Thackeray A wonderful time reading Vanity Fair with two groups of adults at two OLLIs. I doubt I've done justice to the book; a previous blog by me (linked in) has more detail, and analysis. I tried to say something new & think I succeeded ellenandjim.wordpress.com/2025/12/03/t...

Office Hours: Who’s the Worst of the Worst? open.substack.com/pub/robertre... CDC committee on vaccine schedule for infants (e.g. hepatitis at birth). Will Kennedy maim, cause deaths of more for now than Hegseth. Problem "the last 10 months." That's Miller (ICE, immigration) & Bondi (lawless JOD)

December 1, 2025 open.substack.com/pub/heatherc... Senile dementia, psychologically sociopathically demented, read through of Trump's Thankgiving emails, explanations of medical tests show he's untethered from reality, filled w/unhinged rage. He insults vilely women reporters who question him.

Could The Boat Strikes Sink Hegseth? open.substack.com/pub/steady/p... Dan Rather suggests accurate reporting is fuelling Trump's rabid & insulting behavior

On my birthday, she's sung and played perfectly www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVBX...

November 29, 2025 open.substack.com/pub/heatherc... When who at what an increasing body of people w/sense power will begin perilous work to end this horror show. Will be too late? Those enabling this in the US have counterparts across worlds, & as he has enabled them, they're enabling him.

I've notput up any recent photos of Fiona and Elinor. Here they are now a couple of months past oneyear old. Elinor high up among books, Elinor climbing down; Fiona close up as my polar bear, Fiona walking. It's like two pots of paint, grey and white, were splashed at them.

November 28, 2025 open.substack.com/pub/heatherc... It is best to keep up. She is a sober accurate witness

November 27, 2025 open.substack.com/pub/heatherc... I thanked her.

A failed operation, for which I'm grateful, and by association, this year's Thanksgiving austenreveries.wordpress.com/2025/11/28/a...

Happy Thanksgiving to all This year has been a hard one for so many people, animals, and plants around the earth. I hope for better to come. This afternoon Izzy and I go to Laura and Rob's. His family will be there. He's been cooking since Tuesday, cheered by his role, ours to help eat everything.

November 26, 2025 open.substack.com/pub/heatherc... Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving to all. She tells part of the history of this old holiday

Senator Mark E. Kelly, Patriot of Patriots open.substack.com/pub/robertre... Me too.

The Dumbing Down of America open.substack.com/pub/steady/p... Trump is depriving as many Americans of good education. 1st first POTUS openly ruthlessly hurting US population any way he can so as to cut taxes for the rich and make US people unable to understand anything to help themelves --

November 24, 2025 open.substack.com/pub/heatherc... Judge's scathing dismissal ofTrump's attempt unlawfully to use the Justice Dept. to severely punish lawyers, for investigating. He now turns to military (equally unconstitutionally).

New blog: Richard Nelson's The Gabriels. Middle class family sliding down economically, set 2016. Family hoping for Hillary, dread Trump. Prophetic ironic this play never ataged at Kenned Center now. Searing on class system, women's & old people's raw deal. ellenandjim.wordpress.com/2025/11/21/l...

November 22, 2025 open.substack.com/pub/heatherc... There is a precedent for Trump's vile rhtoric and threats to punish the 6 congressman by death: Andrew Johnson as president after the civil war.

Reading in and skimming Vita Sackville-West. 2 hr zoom tomorrow, Cambridge Lit on line on Edwardians. I've read taught much else by her. Here is my foremother poet blog. reveriesunderthesignofausten.wordpress.com/2020/07/31/v... Wondrous writer

November 20, 2025 open.substack.com/pub/heatherc... A state = elected recognized authority w/legal monolopoly on (lethal) violence within boundary lines. 6 congresspeople said not POTUS but constitution & its laws have that right. So he wants them killed; yesterday hosted&defended barbaric killer

November 19, 2025 open.substack.com/pub/heatherc... As usual, it is very worth reading. On the Epstein cases

November 17, 2025 (Monday) open.substack.com/pub/heatherc... Remarkable account of how Trump all weekend was posting on social media denying everything he could think of with respect to Epstein, putting pressure on, bad-mouthing named people

Cave-Man open.substack.com/pub/steady/p... I apologize for the picture if it appears. I tried to delete it. Cave-man. Rather details all Trump's intense efforts to keep Epstein files sealed steady.substack.com/p/cave-man?u...

November 16, 2025 open.substack.com/pub/heatherc... Lincoln knew legal slavery devastatingly bad for all but super-rich white males Trump reshaping economy to put them on top again. Privileged males demand sex from girls w/o money who need money to become sexed up Barbie dolls w/teeth.

Trump’s Truly Sh*tty Economy open.substack.com/pub/robertre... Unfortunately Reich is accurate about how for most people Trump is ruining economy; Wall Street investors,arms manufacturers flourishing, bankers & real estate fine.

So, here aamI, near 79th birthday

Now that the shutdown is over, the Epstein files about to be released. Dan Rather, excellent news anchor; this posting or news column comes from his substack newsletter called “steady.” steady.substack.com/p/drip-drip-...