LIZ JONES'S DIARY: In which I count my blessings
'I might not have children or a sofa. But I have my animals. I have David'
I’m feeling a little bit tearful. It must be the time of year: almost Christmas, and 存在 女性（の） we all want it to be perfect, when it’s far from that.
I’ve managed to get heating 任命する／導入するd in the cottage in Yorkshire. I’ve ordered a new fridge and a dishwasher. Unfortunately, John 吊りくさび has told me I can’t have my new sofa until January. It’s like the final straw. I start crying. Stupid, I know.
David texts, asks if I’m 承認する.
‘No. I’m not 承認する. I think I will have heating in time for when you come for Christmas, and a fridge and a dishwasher, and the oven will be mended. But I don’t think there will be anything to sit on.’
When I owned my Georgian house in Swaledale, I saved for two years to buy a cooker, fridge and dishwasher: until then, I kept my Cr?mant in a bucket of water outside the 支援する door ? 優先s, ladies, 優先s. I was so excited when all the 器具s finally turned up. To be able to make something to eat. I felt like a grown-up, that my life was 支援する on 跡をつける. Then?I was made 破産者／倒産した and lost everything. I paid eight grand for my two 抱擁する pink velvet chesterfields from the Conran Shop, but sold them for £400 each on Ebay, as they wouldn’t fit in the cottage. I texted David, ‘It’s so hard. Having to start from scratch. All over again.’
‘I know,’ he replied. ‘It’s heartbreaking. Why don’t we get your mum’s sofa and 議長，司会を務める out of the garage… use them?’
‘Yes, 承認する. They need 修理ing. The springs and 支援するs have gone. I could cover them with cushions ? that is, unless Gracie has eaten them.’
‘It will be 罰金.’
It’s so nice having someone on my 味方する. When I 発表するd my new 調書をとる／予約する and my 小旅行する in this column, I had hundreds and hundreds of emails from readers. But just one 独房監禁 text from a member of my own family. How is that possible? I suppose it’s Christmas that makes me think of my family: my dear 出発／死d mum, endlessly stirring 乾燥した，日照りのd fruit, worrying about what she could afford to buy her seven children. What she’d 料金d us on.
But she always managed: we feasted on a mysterious creature called a capon, never a turkey.
The best gift I ever received was, 老年の 13 or 14, a cardboard 在庫／株ing 含む／封じ込めるing No7 make-up. 創立／基礎! Make-up meant I could at last leave the house, look boys in the 注目する，もくろむ. Cover up the acne. Blot out my features. I never gave a thought to what my mum must have sacrificed to buy that gift 始める，決める for me (we were a family who bought shampoo and conditioner in sachets, never 瓶／封じ込めるs).
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Christmas is a time when we 必然的に take 在庫／株. How many people love us? How many people want to spend time with us? How happy will we be? How many gifts will we have to open? How, 正確に／まさに,?is life going? Weirdly, at this time of year I always think of George Michael, who died on Christmas Day. I’d known him for years, …に出席するd his very first 遠出 as Wham! in a theatre on the 立ち往生させる. His publicist ? I think she was Greek, too ? used to call me up and say, ‘George says, “How’s Leeez?!”’ I met up with him a few years ago. He knew I’d been through the mill . He told me, ‘When we had dinner in Hampstead, when I was just becoming a 星／主役にする, you were the only person who got out her cheque 調書をとる／予約する. Everyone else let me 選ぶ up the tab.’ Poor George. I know 正確に／まさに how he felt.
I remember, a few years ago, sitting in my office and two of my sisters （機の）カム in. They liked to ギャング（団） up on me. ‘You are going to die a lonely old woman,’ one of them said to me.
But you know what? I might not be lucky enough to have children or a husband or a sofa. But I have my animals. I have David. He really loves me, you know, though God knows why he stuck around during the 破産 and my 持つ／拘留するing up his 失敗s for all to see. The 公表／放送 of our dirty linen (I do now have a 宙返り／暴落する dryer ? yay!). I was a bitch. 恐れる does that to you. But David?has held on like a limpet. Continuing the 航海の analogy, I 辞退する to 溺死する. I am going to not just float but swim the English Channel. I am 決定するd to have a wonderful holiday season.
I hope you do, too.
Merry Christmas!
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