October 31st is Halloween in the United States.  Halloween comes from the term Hallowed Evening because it is the evening before All Saints Day (November 1).

Most people in the United States celebrate Halloween by dressing up in costumes.  Children dress up in costumes and then go trick or treating.  When they go trick or treating, the children take a bag with them.  They go to a neighbor's house and say, "Trick or treat."  The neighbor puts some candy in the childrens' bags.  The children say, "Thank you." Then they go to the next neighbor's house.

The children always say, "Trick or treat."  This means if the neighbor does not give them a treat, the children will play a trick on them.  Although this is what it means, the children don't really play tricks on people.  In my neighborhood, the people who will give out candy on Halloween turn on their porch light.  The children know that the houses with their porch lights on will give them candy.  The children don't go to the houses without their porch lights on.

In my town the children can only go trick or treating at a specific time.  This year they could go trick or treating from 5 to 7 pm.  This is early so it is still light out.  When I was young, we used to go trick or treating after dark.  The children go trick or treating early now because it is safer.  Usually the children's parents go with them to make sure they are safe.

I had about 50 children trick or treat at my house this year.

Can you answer these questions?

1. What day is Halloween in the United States?
2. How do most people in the United States celebrate Halloween?
3. What do children do to celebrate Halloween?
4. What do children take with them when they go trick or treating?
5. Where do children go when they go trick or treating?
6. What do the children say to the neighbor?
7. What does the neighbor do when the dhilren say, "Trick or treat"?
8. Will the children really play a trick on their neighbor if the neighbor doesn't give them a treat (candy)?
9. How do the children know which neighbors will give them candy?
10. How many hours could children go trick or treating in my town this year?

Sometimes I go to teachers conferences.  I buy a booth for the conference.  The booth is in the exhibit hall.  The exhibit hall has several booths.  There are different kinds of booths.  Some booths sell things like books, CDs and DVDs.  That's what my booth does.  I sell CDs and DVDs.  I sell CDs and DVDs in French, Spanish and English.  They are used by teachers in their classes.

Other booths sell jewelry.  There were two booths that sold jewelry at this conference.  Other booths sell clothing.  The clothing was from Peru.  It was made from Alpaca wool.

There are travel companies that buy booths.  They don't sell trips at the conference.  They talk to people at the conference.  They talk to people about their trips.  Their trips are for teachers and students.

There are also textbook companies that buy booths.  They don't sell books at the conference.  They talk to people at the conference.  They talk to people about their textbooks.

I like to go to teachers conferences because I get to talk to teachers.

Can you answer these questions?

1. What do I buy a booth for?
2. Where is the booth located?
3. What does the exhibit hall have?
4. Are all the booths the same at a conference?
5. What kinds of things do I sell at my booth?
6. Who uses my CDs and DVDs?
7. How many booths sold jewelry at this conference?
8. What is the clothing from Peru made of?
9. What do travel companies do at the conference?
10. At what kind of booth would you talk about textbooks?

My dog Renny wants to go for a walk.  Renny likes to take a walk each day in the park.  The park is near our house.

But today I am busy.  I can't take Renny for a walk.  Renny isn't happy because I can't take her for a walk.

I like to take Renny for walks, but I can't take her for a walk today.  I can't take her for a walk because I'm too busy.  I want to take Renny for a walk, but I'm too busy to take her for a walk.

Renny is not happy with me.  She wants to go for a walk.  Maybe I will not be too busy tomorrow.  Maybe I will be able to take her for a walk tomorrow.

Can you answer these questions?

1. What is my dog's name?
2. What does my dog want to do?
3. Where does my dog like to take a walk?
4. Why can't I take my dog for a walk today?
5. Do I want to take Renny for a walk?
6. What am I too busy to do?
7. Is Renny happy with me?
8. Does Renny want to go for a walk or does Renny want to get a bath?
9. Will I be too busy tomorrow?
10. What might I do tomorrow?

Today was a busy day for me.  This morning I woke up at 8:30 am.  I woke up when the phone rang.  I had to get up to answer the phone.  The phone call was from the contractor who is going to fix my broken screen door.  The contractor wanted to fix my door on Thursday.  He couldn't fix it on Thursday, though.  I am going to a conference on Thursday.  I will have to wait for the contractor to fix it.  He will fix it on November 14.  That's a long time for me to wait.

After the phone call, I took a bath.  Sometimes I take a bath and sometimes I take a shower.  This morning I took a bath.  Then I got dressed and brushed my teeth.

After I brushed my teeth, I fed the cats.  My dog Renny watched the cats eat.  She waited until the cats were done and then she ate the rest of the cat food.  I used a gate across the doorway to keep her from eating the cat food before the cats were done.

After Renny ate the cat food, I put her outside.  While she was outside, I ate breakfast.  After I ate breakfast, I brought Renny back inside.

I checked my e-mail and I checked my regular mail.  Then I recorded some audio for this blog.  I also finished a catalog for Chalkboard Productions.  I did a lot this morning.  It was a busy morning for me.

Can you answer these questions?

1. What kind of day was today for me?
2. When did I wake up this morning?
3. What woke me up this morning?
4. Where am I going on Thursday?
5. When will the contractor fix my door?
6. What did I do after the phone call?
7. Which did I do first, take a bath or get dressed?
8. What did I use across the doorway to keep Renny from eating the cat food before the cats were done?
9. When did I bring Renny back inside?
10. What did I check this morning?

On Wednesday, I had to take my mom to the doctor's.  As I walked out the front door, the handle broke off into my hand.  The metal handle was in my hand, not on the door.  The door handle was broken.

The broken handle was on my screen door.  A screen door is a door that has a screen in it.  It's a light door, not a heavy door.  It's the door to my front porch.  The door to the house is a heavy door.  It's not a screen door.  It's a storm door.  A storm door is a heavier door.  It keeps the wind and cold out.  A screen door is a lighter door.  It doesn't keep the wind and cold out very well.

I had to use wire to hold the screen door shut.  The latch was broken.  The latch is what holds the door closed.  The door doesn't have a latch anymore.  I had to wire the door shut so it would stay closed.  The wire holds the door closed.

In a few days, a man will fix the broken door.  This man is a contractor.  A contractor fixes things.  He will replace the broken door with a new door.  This new door will not be a screen door.  It will be a storm door.

It will be nice to have the door fixed.  Then I won't have to wire it shut anymore.

Can you answer these questions?

1. When did I have to take my mom to the doctor's?
2. What broke off into my hand as I walked out the front door?
3. Did I walk out the front door or did I walk out the back door?
4. What part of the door was broken?
5. Is the broken door a screen door or is it a storm door?
6. Which kind of door is heavier, a screen door or a storm door?
7. What does a storm door keep out?
8. What did I have to use to hold the screen door shut?
9. What part of the handle holds the door closed?
10. Who will fix the broken door?