In the days when TV brought a maximum of four black and white channels into the house, I was sometimes reduced to watching The Wide World of Sports on a boring Saturday afternoon.  It always started with the same scene as they showed someone winning an athletic event while another person crashed.  The voice-over was “the thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat.”  This was what came to mind last week as I received a rejection from Chatelaine.

Yes, it’s true.  I should be crushed, but I actually felt wonderful because of how nicely Monda Rosenberg, the food editor, did it.  She took the time to explain that there are so many space constraints that not everything fits into each issue.  So who knows, maybe next year I’ll get lucky.

She ended her e mail with, “They are totally outstanding and believe you me I have tasted a lot of fruitcakes in my days.  Even judged them at the CNE.  Just remember that you make one of the best tasting fruitcakes in Canada.”  So how in the world could I be upset?

I’m far more upset by having three males acting like sloths around me all day.  I wouldn’t be surprised if fungus started growing on them from lack of activity.  The other day Luke got up at 11:00 and said he’d power wash the small deck for me in preparation for staining, to which I replied, “Too late.  I’ve already done the second coat.”

Denis came home from work and said, “I’m going to start on the windows,” to which I replied, “Too late, I’ve already washed them.”  Recently he was bothered by an errant elm tree and cut it down.  He’d hauled up the branches and said he was going to rent a chipper.  I realized I’d be living with the tree debris until after the Olympics, so simply phoned the yard waste removal company who came and hauled it all away.

“Too late” is a refrain often heard by the three men.  Of course they’re absolutely thrilled by it, and would only be frightened to hear it at dinner time.  Last week I made really delicious butter chicken, which Luke decided needed to be followed up by homemade donuts.

I’ve never made donuts before, but Luke found a recipe on-line and they were actually really good.  We ate them hot, dripping in oil and slathered in icing.  And this after a day of low carbs and heavy exercise!  Oh well.

Now I need to get serious with my on-line marketing, as increased web sales are my goal for this tiny business.  If I could sell 3,000 fruitcakes directly to customers, I’d be very happy.  Of course I’d hoped Chatelaine would be instrumental in making this happen, but that would’ve been too easy, wouldn’t it?