Monday, July 11, 2005

Wind, Sticks, and Merchandise

"He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind. . ." Proverbs 11:29

I read this verse this morning and made a mental note to come back to it sometime during the day and figure out what it means. I never got around to it, though I did note that in the margin of my bible there was a reference to a verse in Ecclesiastes. I do know it was the title of a movie about the Scopes Trial, but I don't think I ever quite figured out the connection to that, either. Then, too, there's the verse about reaping a whirlwind.

The wind from Dennis blew a lot of limbs and sticks onto our lawn, which the girls and I spent a little while this afternoon picking up. We were still out there when Tim came home--early--from work. I'd planned to finish up and come in and put a pineapple upside down cake in the oven to surprise him with, but it's not the same when it's not a surprise, so maybe tomorrow. This summer, I've been watching the Food Network two or three times a week, and it's put me in the mood to cook. Even Iron Chef America is growing on me, although at first I didn't think it would because it just didn't measure up to the original Iron Chef in my estimation. But now I'm warming up to Kitchen Stadium and the chairman.

I still haven't taken the Mensa test but last night I did take the International High IQ Society test. There are five tests to choose from on their site, and if you score in the top five percent on any of the tests, you are eligible for membership in their society. I took the one that measures crystallized intelligence--50 questions in 12 minutes. I scored high enough to gain membership in the High IQ Society, even though the storm was playing havoc with the phone lines, and I was disconnected twice in the middle of the test. I might join, because they have a merchandise page where you can order t-shirts, sweatshirts, canvas bags, lapel pins, ballpoint pens, etc. I don't know if Mensa has merchandise or not. I mean, it's not like I'd actually wear a t-shirt from the High IQ Society out in public or anything, but maybe just a lapel pin to put on my dresser or something would be ok. The Society has a quarterly magazine to which members can submit articles, a chat room, discussion board, and online game tournaments. I don't know, though. I just don't know.

The girls are outside in a tent, with snacks and sleeping bags. That brings back a lot of memories for me. Angela and I did that several times every summer. Daddy would pitch the tent on the basketball court, right outside the door. Sometimes we even stayed all night, but not often. Usually when the snacks were gone and the mosquitoes started biting, we were finished camping.