Ruth Maassen

Hanging on for dear life in coastal New England

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

The crux of the entire diplomatic situation is that it was Russia, and only Russia, that started this war, and it is Russia, and only Russia, that has been refusing to end it throughout the full-scale invasion. From the very first minutes of February 24, Putin has been waging this war with complete disregard for how many of his own people he loses and how many of ours he kills.

Russian commanders are not merely inclined to act brutally – they receive explicit orders allowing them to kill however they please. That is why Russia’s war is so bloody, taking lives both on the front lines and in peaceful Ukrainian cities. That is why Russia not only kills adults but also abducts children and tries to re-educate them so that they will take part in the war once they grow up.

Russian commanders are now sending into assaults against Ukrainian positions those who were still in elementary school in 2014, when Crimea was occupied and Russia’s hybrid aggression against Ukraine began. This is a long war, and the main thing Russia is trying to do is to preserve its ability to wage it even longer, and not only against Ukraine. That is why we appreciate so deeply that so many forces and leaders are working for peace right now.

Ukraine is grateful to the United States, to every American heart, and personally to President Trump for the assistance that – starting with the Javelins – has been saving Ukrainian lives. We thank everyone in Europe, in the G7, and in the G20 who is helping us defend life. It is important to preserve the support.

It is important not to forget the main goal – to stop Russia’s war and prevent it from ever igniting again. And to achieve that, peace must be dignified. In just this one year alone, Putin has already sent hundreds of thousands of his own people to their deaths in order to occupy one percent or several percent of Ukrainian territory. And this is what Russia is doing – a country that already has more internationally recognized territory than any other state in the world. This nature of the war, and Russia’s attempts to prolong it, show that for them this is not about territory or about how one neighbor or another behaves toward Russia, but about Russia’s “right to wage war,” its “right to subjugate” others, and a fundamental absence of security.

That is why we work so carefully on every point, on every step toward peace. Everything must work out the right way – so that this war is truly ended and so that it does not happen again. Thank you to everyone who is helping! Thank you, America! Thank you, Europe! I am proud of our people. Glory to Ukraine!

[Ruth Maassen @RuthMaassen2]

@OnlyInBOS Yellow means speed up

[Ruth Maassen @RuthMaassen2]

@ThrillaRilla369 My mother was good at jacks.

[Ruth Maassen @RuthMaassen2]

@AgathaChocolats I swear I’m losing some weight.

[Ruth Maassen @RuthMaassen2]

@MerriamWebster Gloucester

[Cian McCarthy @arealmofwonder]

Rest in peace, Patricia Routledge 🙏🏻

In memory of her, I encourage everyone to read these words of hers from February last year.

Whether young or old, you're bound to get something out of it.

*****

"I’ll be turning 95 this coming Monday. In my younger years, I was often filled with worry — worry that I wasn’t quite good enough, that no one would cast me again, that I wouldn’t live up to my mother’s hopes. But these days begin in peace, and end in gratitude.

My life didn’t quite take shape until my forties. I had worked steadily — on provincial stages, in radio plays, in West End productions — but I often felt adrift, as though I was searching for a home within myself that I hadn’t quite found.

At 50, I accepted a television role that many would later associate me with — Hyacinth Bucket, of Keeping Up Appearances. I thought it would be a small part in a little series. I never imagined that it would take me into people’s living rooms and hearts around the world. And truthfully, that role taught me to accept my own quirks. It healed something in me.

At 60, I began learning Italian — not for work, but so I could sing opera in its native language. I also learned how to live alone without feeling lonely. I read poetry aloud each evening, not to perfect my diction, but to quiet my soul.

At 70, I returned to the Shakespearean stage — something I once believed I had aged out of. But this time, I had nothing to prove. I stood on those boards with stillness, and audiences felt that. I was no longer performing. I was simply being.

At 80, I took up watercolour painting. I painted flowers from my garden, old hats from my youth, and faces I remembered from the London Underground. Each painting was a quiet memory made visible.

Now, at 95, I write letters by hand. I’m learning to bake rye bread. I still breathe deeply every morning. I still adore laughter — though I no longer try to make anyone laugh. I love the quiet more than ever.

I’m writing this to tell you something simple:

Growing older is not the closing act. It can be the most exquisite chapter — if you let yourself bloom again.

Let these years ahead be your TREASURE YEARS.

You don’t need to be famous. You don’t need to be flawless.

You only need to show up — fully — for the life that is still yours.

With love and gentleness,

Patricia Routledge

*****

Once more, rest in peace. 🤍

[Ruth Maassen @RuthMaassen2]

@EM_RESUS Migraine

[Ruth Maassen @RuthMaassen2]

@JoshuaBellMusic @92ndStreetY Don’t miss it! (As one who just heard both programs at the beautiful Shalin Liu concert hall in Rockport, Massachusetts.)

[Ruth Maassen @RuthMaassen2]

@StevenIsserlis @TimothyGWeir @jeremydenk @JoshuaBellMusic @irene_duval The first two in fact in my little town of Rockport, Massachusetts. Thank you! We love you all.

[Замаханий репортер @ReporterTired]

I don’t know if many English-speaking people read my account, but it’s worth a try. After nights like this one, I feel the need to explain a little what it's like: living in Kyiv during a full-scale war 👇

[Ruth Maassen @RuthMaassen2]

@jeremydenk So sorry! But we in Rockport are very much looking forward to hearing you!

[Ruth Maassen @RuthMaassen2]

@MerriamWebster Skeehawed meaning crooked

[Joe G @EastEndJoe]

Good morning. 😂

[Dylan O'Sullivan @DylanoA4]

What a line

[Timothy Snyder @TimothyDSnyder]

I’m in Munich and people keep asking me to decode Vance’s speech. OK: In Vance English “free speech” means “Let Musk run your elections” and “democracy” means “let Russia run your elections.” Now move on. 2025 is about what Europeans do, not what Americans say.

[Ruth Maassen @RuthMaassen2]

@RedRiverCroft The first time I saw this, I was mystified. No footprints? Did whoever made this impression fly away?

[Protect Kamala Harris ✊ @DisavowTrump20]

Dr. Amy Acton is the Democrat running against Vivek Ramaswamy for Governor of Ohio. As the lead health officer, she led the state through the pandemic.

RETWEET if you support @DrAmyActon
against Ramaswamy!

[Ruth Maassen @RuthMaassen2]

@PapistMelli My daughter, an only child, loves seeing her three children together, says it’s “her favorite thing”

[Ruth Maassen @RuthMaassen2]

@hannahgriff Where I live in Massachusetts, sunset today is at 4:09. With Daylight Savings, it would be at 5:09. Not enough difference to deprive everyone of natural light in the morning.