2014 Holiday Letter

Here’s what has been happening in the last few years. In August 2012 I started to work on my Doctorate at California State University at Northridge while still working full time as a classroom math teacher at Culver City High School. Hence, I have been overwhelmed and very busy. If I stay on target, I will finish at the end of this school year and have an Ed. D. However, I am currently a bit delayed because of the other big event.

On July 29, 2014, I came home to a very sick Adrian. So sick that he didn’t know who I was or what was going on. I had to call 911 and when he was transported to the hospital, his vitals were very poor. So poor, that after he was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis, they said he would die the next day. Many of you followed this on Facebook as it was happening, so I will keep it short. Being told at 8pm on a Tuesday that he would die was shocking to say the least. I prayed, I contacted everyone, asked them to pray. At about 2am, my doctor appeared in the hospital to take care of me. I needed to be treated so I was escorted to ER where I was treated and told not to return for 6 hours for the medicine to get through my system to protect others that I may come in contact with. In fact, everyone who had seen Adrian between Sunday morning and this time had to be treated. The praying helped. I also had a spiritual healer come and while the two of us where praying over Adrian on Wednesday about 1pm, he woke up and acknowledged me. We all knew then he would live, but it was going to be a struggle. I really want to thank the many of you who came to visit him while he was in the hospital. So many on the that first day, thank you. And all the prayers you all said, thank you. Adrian lived, and was another week in ICU. They identified the bacteria as meningococcal meningitis the most dangerous of the bacterial forms of meningitis. So, he was very lucky. After a week in ICU and 3 days on the floor, they sent him home with a home nurse and a pic line for IV drugs to be administered at home. This went on for the rest of August. We both came home with a virus. But I had to start school (which started the end of August this year) and I went back to CSUN for my doctorate. Needless to say, my virus turned into pneumonia. It has been the roughest start of a school year I have ever had. Hence, I have not yet proposed for my dissertation, but hope to soon.

For my Doctorate, if I had proposed over the summer or in September, I would be on schedule. I’m still working on my first three chapters, then I can propose. After my proposal is approved, I will conduct my study, then write my final two chapters and be awarded my Ed. D., hopefully in May you will have to start calling me Dr. Marsh. My study will be on the different conditions high school math teachers must implement the Common Core State State standards: using an existing textbook, a CCSS textbook, or curating from whatever materials they can find.

The coursework for the first two years have kept me incredibly busy reading books, articles and writing papers. Barely time to do much else. So, for many of you who I would have seen or talked to so much more than I have, I am sorry. But please give me another year. Then we can hang out and I’ll give a prize to the one that calls me Dr. Marsh the most. ;)

Last summer, 2013, my Mother was ill and in the hospital for several weeks while they drained an infection on her brain. She is doing well these days. So I know two hospitals quite well and I can tell you that the cafeteria is better at Cottage Hospital than at Cedars Sinai Hospital. Challenge on Cedars!

Adrian is back to normal and working. Before that we did get a few trips in. For a weekend we got away to a spa resort to relax after my qualifying exams. Then in July we went to Michoacán, Mexico to visit Adrian’s sister and family. Both were nice distractions from the all work and no play life we both have been leading.

In June 2013, my cousin and three of his friends visited us from Germany which was lots of fun. Four German police officers in the house while we took care of my Mother’s dog, Harley. He was in heaven. They took him on lots of walks. Then in August 2013, his sister, and her husband visited from Germany. This was the wedding we attended in Germany in July of 2012. With them we embarked on a road trip, drove to Vegas, Zion and Bryce, and then around the Grand Canyon (and stopped to look.) before heading home. If you want to see some picture, I have them attached to this page.

I do hope this letter finds you well. And I look forward to our getting together in a bit. I do miss you all. I wish you and your family a very happy holiday!