Diana Isaza has returned from Colombia where she has been teaching English for the past ten months. Today we honored her with a special luncheon and she was able to admire the two resource books she’s written with co-author Patricia Gómez.
The Bilingual Kids: English-Spanish resource books, volumes 1 and 2 are filled with reproducible activities reinforcing the concepts learned in Bilingual Songs: English-Spanish volumes 1 and 2.

Diana will join our staff until August when she leaves for Carlton University. Congratulations on a job well done, you two. Diana, it’s so great to have you back!

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Diana and Patricia showing off Bilingual Kids, volumes 1 and 2.

As you read this I am presently in Orlando, helping out at the exhibit of National Educational Systems, Inc of San Antonio. NES just recently made the decision to pick up our line and this is a fabulous opportunity to meet many of the key people involved in sales. This year’s annual conference runs from May 24th to May 27th and attracts thousands of key educators involved in Head Start programs across the country. The show has been great. I’ll be here one more day before heading home.

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Happy 40th Birthday “Head Start”.

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National Sales Manager Jose Atkinson [left] and his wife Rose [right].

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Sales consultants John Easley [left] and Roy Rutledge [right].

We are proud to announce that as of June 1st we will have Crabtree Publishing distributing our line of educational audio kits and resource books.

Since moving to our new location six years ago, the folks at Crabtree have always been supportive. Dozens of times each year they have given advice and been a big part of our success. As of June 2005 they will be doing even more. We will be part of their catalog and marketing plans as they take on our line for distribution. Crabtree Publishing, which celebrates 25 years of publishing, is especially known for the hundreds of quality books written by the prolific Bobbie Kalman. I’ve taken two photos here, one of the entrance of their brand new building and the other of our support team at Crabtree who will oversee the administration and marketing of our titles. Crabtree Publishing’s large warehouse, office and distribution center, has a staff of 45 and encompasses 29,500 square feet.

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Our support team at Crabtree, Front Row (L-R): Linda Wade, Shelly Book, Lisa Ariganello, Kathy Middleton, Back Row (L-R): Lisa Maisonneuve, Sean Charlebois, Mary Learn [left] and a view of the building entrance [right].

It seems like life is a whirlwind of activity. Last Friday we said “Goodbye” to IRA and packed up our booth. I took one last photo of the show to give you an idea of how immense it really was. Later that day we had one more margarita and took a tour of the Alamo.

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Overview of IRA.

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Touring the Alamo.

Two days later, my kids surprised me on Mother’s Day with this really neat photo. My son, Ben is a professional photographer. Jessie, my daughter and the artist, did the t-shirts and did the painting of me in the background. What a great way to spend the day!

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My Mother’s Day gift.

I’ve got “the trade show blues”. Since Christmas I’ve spent more time on the road than at home. Last night the whistles of the trains passing by the hotel resonated as chords inside my head. The ones closest to the hotel appeared to be B major triads in first inversion. As they diminished into the distance, oddly enough the whistles became diminished triads. This morning the whistles were major 6th chords. Yes. I think I’ve had almost enough of this. When I return I will start to compose music again.

The IRA convention has been busy. By some recounts over there are over 40,000 attendees. I’d guess that there at least 30,000 for sure.

The union guys on the floor happened to misplace the skid with our booth. It took us four hours of wandering around the floor ourselves to find it just abandoned close to here:

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We found the skid containing our booth abandoned here.

Everything else went smoothly. Darryl, with Wil’s help, was able to do the actual set-up quite easily. We are surrounded by nice people in small booths, who I assume also are suffering from “the trade show blues”.

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Darryl and Wil setting up the booth [left] and Sara and Darryl getting ready to greet visitors [right].

When I return home I look forward to sitting down and composing some songs. Maybe I’ll write one about trains!