So..... where do we go from here? I can only speak for myself so “we” is meant as a general question to everyone. In the year or so since I asked that question a great many things have happened and my life has taken many interesting and unusual turns.

One very important thing that happened is that my daughter Leela got sick with Histoplasmosis this spring. I had never heard of it before but I’ve learned much about it since. This fungus invaded her lymph nodes and it made her breathing difficult because the nodes were so swollen that they were pressing against her bronchi, making her cough. She was in the hospital for 2 1/2 weeks and then on an IV line for another month after that. Monica and I administered the IV’s at home, something I had never pictured myself doing. Now she is on an oral medication and will be until the Doctors say she is in the clear, probably a few more weeks.

I have been working in two woodcarvings; one is the head that can be seen in a slideshow if you follow the link on my “what’s new?” page and the other is a freeform wood sculpture similar to the “Family Group” seen on my “Woodcarvings” page. They are progressing very slowly but they are progressing!

My band “Collegeville Station” has been playing every Wednesday night from 7-10:30pm at the St. Joseph Bo Diddley’s deli. This is really nice because it is close enough to my house that I can walk to and from the gigs and it doesn’t go until 2 in the morning like some of the bar bands that I have played in, which means that when I get home I’m not all wiped out and don’t stink like cigarette smoke. It would be nice if we were getting paid for it, but at least we have someplace to play on a regular basis. And now there are even a few people showing up to hear us on a regular basis. We played at private parties for the Catholic Bishop of St. Cloud twice this summer- he really likes the song “Freight Train” which Leela and I sang for him at the first party.

I am now in the process of making three beds for my daughters out of oak from my parent’s land. I had forgotten how much work it was to make the junior bed that I made in 1995 and this is at least 3 times as much work. I may also make a new bed for Monica and myself when I finish these three and I will post some pictures when they are finished.

One thing that has been responsible for taking both a great amount of time and concentration is a Martial Arts class that I have been taking with my two eldest daughters. Although Leela has been taking the summer off she is going to start again this fall. I started taking this class as a way of encouraging them to learn some self-defense but now I have become so interested in it that I will continue no matter what. So far I have injured one of my toes and my right shoulder but both injuries have been my own fault, a failure to follow instructions. This class is being offered through our local school district’s community education program and the people teaching it are really great. I admire them not only for their skill and intelligence, but also because they are very kind and don’t laugh too much at an uncoordinated old duffer like me.

I would like to apologize to those of you who are waiting for their Artwork to be finished- I had hoped that I would get more done this spring but staying in the hospital with Leela really slowed me down. This fall Maura will be starting school so I will have a couple of hours free in the morning which I am planning to dedicate to doing Art. And another apology goes out to those of you who submitted essays last year and are finally seeing them now. That means you, Dave, I really appreciate the support. We'll start on your suggested topics this winter.

At any rate, I have decided that the Essay is going to become a quarterly feature rather than a monthly feature. Hopefully the added time will give contributors more time to think and write and it will definitely give me more time to write and/or procrastinate.

So stay well, write me an Essay and I hope it will be just a few short months until you hear from me again.

Dave Cofell
August 12, 2005