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ChristiRoseçš„ä¸»é¡µ http://www.zorpia.cn/ChristiRose Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:15 EST Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:15 EST Zorpia.com My nephew's killer is claiming self defense :( http://www.zorpia.cn/ChristiRose/journal/1849714 I don't know how many of you were here in June of 2007 when my 15 year old nephew was beaten to death by a 20 year old man, but if you're not familiar with this story, I wrote a journal at that time you can read for the back-story. Today I opened the newspaper to find this evil beast is claiming slef defense, even though he was older and more than twice Christopher's size. There is NO WAY this is true. It makes me sick to my stomach! If you go back and read the statements made right after this happened, it's plain to see. Here is the article from today: <h1 id="sHeadline" class="storyHeadline">Accused murderer claims self-defense</h1>VALPARAISO | An attorney for Mark Easter, on trial for murder, told a jury Monday his client was trying to help the deceased on the night he died. Easter, now 21, of South Haven, was attempting to point an intoxicated Christopher Janus in the direction of his home when Janus became combative, Merrillville defense attorney Herbert Shaps said. "He acted in self-defense," Shaps said. Chief Deputy Prosecutor Matt Frost painted quite a different picture as the murder trial got under way Monday afternoon. Frost said Easter believed Janus was flirting with his girlfriend, so he chased the 15-year-old neighbor boy down and beat him unconscious on June 8, 2007, in South Haven. Easter then walked up to a nearby house, announced, "I think I killed him, don't call police," and then returned to further punch and stomp on Janus' lifeless body, Frost said. Both sides seem to agree Janus was at Easter's South Haven home on the night in question with a group that was drinking alcohol. Frost said Easter left the room and overheard something on his return that angered him enough to order everyone to leave. Shaps said Janus was bragging about a fight he planned to take part in, which shows his predisposition for violence. Easter had enough of the talk and ordered Janus to leave. Frost said as Janus left the residence, Easter chased him down to a nearby backyard, where he beat and kicked the boy to death. Shaps said Janus made a couple of attempts to ride his bicycle home, but failed because he was so intoxicated. He said Janus fell on his stomach and face. Janus provoked the violence as Easter attempted to help him, Shaps said. Shaps said Easter was distraught when he learned the boy was dead and made no attempt to hide from police. Frost said Easter told police on his way to jail that Janus was flirting with his girlfriend. "And he killed him for it," Frost said.   http://nwi.com/articles/2008/10/28/news/top_news/docd6dcc714d6a6e65e862574ef00817c7d.txt *UPDATE* <h1 class="storyHeadline" id="sHeadline">Man claims no memory of fatal beating</h1>VALPARAISO | South Haven resident Mark Easter told a jury Wednesday he does not remember beating and kicking 15-year-old Christopher Janus to death last summer. Easter, who is now 21, said he struck Janus once after a "scuffle" broke out on the night of June 8, 2007, and the next thing he remembers is telling the boy to wake up. Easter did not offer much of a defense when asked by Chief Deputy Prosecutor Matt Frost why he had told police at the time that he struck Janus 10 times, with a good number of the blows coming after he realized the boy was unconscious. The testimony wrapped up the evidence portion of Easter's murder trial and Porter Superior Judge Roger Bradford instructed the jury to return at 9 a.m. Thursday for closing arguments and to begin deliberations. While on the witness stand Wednesday afternoon, Easter also gave a different explanation as to what led up to the beating. He reportedly told police last summer he chased Janus and beat him because he felt the boy was flirting with his girlfriend. Yet he told the jury Wednesday he became "stern" with Janus and ordered both his girlfriend and Janus to leave his house on the night in question because he was upset that Janus kept boasting about being paid to beat up one of Easter's friends. Janus, who Easter described as intoxicated enough to fall off his bicycle twice, was leaving the area, but Easter said he followed after him because he did not want the boy trespassing on a neighbor's property. "I was worried," Easter said. "I didn't want him to get caught in that backyard." Despite these concerns, Easter said he followed Janus into the backyard and attempted to help him get over a fence. When the boy fell back into him, he said he pushed back. He said he struck Janus because he thought the boy had picked something up from the yard and was coming after him. "He was looking at me and I thought he was reaching for something," Easter said. Frost again pointed out Easter had not told this version of the story to police. Easter repeatedly said he was "nervous," "scared" and "freaked out," on the night of the incident. "Your express purpose was to kill him," Frost said. "No sir," Easter replied.  http://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/2008/10/29/updates/breaking_news/doc4908dd4e90af0442842057.txt Personal http://www.zorpia.cn/ChristiRose/journal/1849714 Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:04 EST Join the Zorpian Gallery with me! http://www.zorpia.cn/ChristiRose/journal/1810741 Just wanted to invite all my friends to join a birthday gallery, created by my friend Bruce. It will be a different video each month, highlighting the Zorpian birthdays of that month of all who choose to participate. He's had experience doing this project before... here's a sample of his work:    <embed allowNetWorking="internal" AllowScriptAccess="sameDomain" width="450" height="370" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" menu="false" allowfullscreen="true" src="http://cdn1.fliqz.com/fliqz/production/players/Base/swf/FliqzBasePlayer.swf?playerSkin=http://cdn1.fliqz.com/fliqz/production/players/Zorpia/swf/player.swf&window=_blank&watermark=http://www.zorpia.com&staticPlayer=1&serverName=cdn1.fliqz.com/fliqz/production&ismuted=0&file=1059250eb68d4d8da288b3bd30b0617c&autoplay=0&progressive=1&wsdl=http://services.fliqz.com/api/videoservice/052907/wsdl.xml&allowFullScreen=true" /> I'm looking forward to you all joining me to get this underway. If you want to participate, just send the following info to Bruce ( <a href="http://www.zorpia.com/wetsensations">Wet Sensations</a> ) How can you come and join us? Simple! Simply send me a picture and the information we need and I'll do the rest. Here is what I need: <div id="msg_text_box_0" class="foru_cont_comm article_main"> 1) A good head-and-shoulders photo of yourself. 2) Your Zorpian Username (the one you use to log on with) 3) Your 'real' first name. 4) Your Birth date (day and month only - year is not necessary) You can accomplish this in one of two ways: A) embed your photo and information into a Private Message to me here at Zorpia if you have the photo uploaded here or if you use an outside source such as PhotoBucket, etc. or ........ B) E-mail it to me and enclose the photo as an attachment. Send it to: wet.sensations@yahoo.com (please note the DOT (.) between WET and SENSATIONS) Your pictures will be held in the strictest confidence and will be DELETED from my hard drive as soon as the video is produced! Your picture can be changed or upgraded later on as you desire. Simply send me the new replacement photo. Be sure to invite all YOUR friends as well. Your Friends DO NOT have to be on MY Friends List in order to participate - every Zorpian is welcome to join!</div> Zorpia Related http://www.zorpia.cn/ChristiRose/journal/1810741 Sun, 08 Jun 2008 00:24 EST My life with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome http://www.zorpia.cn/ChristiRose/journal/1779122 <div align="center">This is VERY long and not for the faint of heart, but if you'd like an educational experience, or would just like to understand me and what my life is like, then read on at your own risk! </div>      I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Type III - Hypermobility (amongst MANY other things)... my son has it too, and my dad had it and his mom had it (it's autosomal dominant)... you can Google it if you want to know more about it, but basically the genetic structure of collagen in my body is weak so it stretches and tears easily, which means all of my tissues that are made up of collagen (just about everything) are prone to injury and don't heal well.      In type III the major symptom is in the joints, but there are also skin and organ issues like the others, it's just that each type presents itself in different ways that they used to classify them. Some people with type III also have symptoms of the other types, but the joint issues are prominent.      My joints hyper-extend and dislocate SUPER easily. When I was a kid they said I was "double-jointed" and acted like it was no big deal, but they didn't know about the disorder back then. I was a tomboy so I got ALOT of injuries, but I was also VERY sensitive to any harassment about being a girl (in other words weak or wimpy) so I just toughed it out and dealt with the pain. Whenever I thought I'd broken something I went to the doctor, but it usually turned out to be sprains.      When I was on the fire department I got alot MORE injuries of course, and they were just looking for any excuse to kick girls off, so I toughed it out there too. In October of 2000 I fell down the stairs while carrying about 500 pounds of confined space rescue equipment, and my right foot folded under me and I landed on it, severing one of the tendons in my ankle, which made a VERY loud 'POP' that everyone around heard! (I didn't find out it was severed until months later though) I was able to get up and walk on it, and it seemed to move around fine, so I just shook it off. That night after a 2 hour nap, I woke up to the most excruciating pain I ever felt, and had my mom drive me to the hospital. They Xrayed it and said it was "just soft tissue damage" and I'd be fine in about 3 days. So I went back to work.      I was in so much pain I couldn't sleep. We had our yearly physical agility tests, and I did great on the obstacle course part, but the ladder climb I couldn't get a fast enough time in. I was supposed to climb the aerial ladder 75 feet at 70 degrees, up and back down in 4 minutes. The fastest time I got after several tries was 4 minutes, 23 seconds, and the last attempt I almost fell off. I had no lateral stability in my right ankle because of the injury.      They took me off the fire crew and made me work fire watch until I could pass the test. Problem with that was it's 8-16 hours a day on your feet on uneven terrain, like sometimes those huge railroad gravel rocks. My pain got worse, still couldn't sleep, my immune system got run down, and by January 2001 I had a sinus infection so bad I went through a whole series of 9 different antibiotics trying to get rid of it.      I called off work for 2 days and then went back, but was so sick and weak and hurting that after a week back, I just told my Lieutenant "I give up, I can't do this anymore, I'm going home and I just can't come back until I get better."      I thought it would just take a couple of weeks of rest and I would heal, but it just wasn't happening. I wasn't getting better, and the doctors couldn't figure out why. An orthopedic surgeon told me that I'd completely severed the tendon in my ankle, but he only recommended I take Vioxx for a month and come back to get checked.      I did what he said, but wasn't getting better. After a couple of months off of work, my employer canceled my insurance. Now I couldn't go to a doctor at all. I had no income of any kind, and I tried filing for my disability insurance, but they were taking forever with the paperwork. They finally sent me a letter saying they needed to see an MRI of my ankle before approving it, only they didn't tell me until AFTER my insurance was canceled. Know how much an MRI costs?? Needless to say I couldn't provide the "evidence" that I was disabled due to my on the job injury, so they turned me down and I got NO money.      So now I was just stuck. Not able to work. Not able to have medical care. I lived with my mom at the time, so I couldn't get ANY help from the state or federal government because they considered the WHOLE household's income, which included my mom and my brother, even though they were hardly able to cover their own bills, let alone buy medicine for me. My son's father hadn't been paying child support for a long time, so I was getting NOTHING.      I had to stop taking all medicines. My mom paid for my son's medicine which was $125 a month, but that's all she could afford to help. I couldn't walk most of the time. I had to crawl or lean on furniture to get to the bathroom even. I started gaining alot of weight because I went from being SUPER active to not being able to do anything but lay there. I was so stressed and sleep-deprived that I started having major panic attacks. I thought it was a heart attack at first, which scared me even more. My doctor was nice enough to give me samples of the medicine I needed to take care of that though.      Finally I figured out that in order to get any kind of help from the government, my son and I would have to move out of my mom's house. I called the local homeless shelter (after ALOT of crying and feeling helpless and hopeless) but they had a SIX MONTH WAITING LIST to get in! I talked to one of my friends, and she agreed to let my son and I move in with her. She was on low income herself, so it wouldn't make us ineligible for assistance like my mom's income had.      After over a year off of work, I was finally able to get assistance, and was sent to a rheumatologist. Before my appointment I did some research online about my symptoms, and I found only ONE possible thing it could be, so I printed the information about it and took it to my appointment. I explained my situation to him, and the first thing he said was "I think you have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome"... I said, "that's what I was going to tell you!! Look, I have it here printed out!"      He sent me to a geneticist to confirm it, and my son was with me at that appointment, so she also checked him, and agreed that what we had was Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Type III. Finally I knew what was causing all the trouble I'd been having my WHOLE LIFE! It's not curable, and treatable only with anti-inflammatory medications, pain pills, and just avoiding re-injuring things. I have to be careful in ALL that I do.      My ankles sometimes collapse when I walk. I have carpal tunnel syndrome in my hands because of my wrists dislocating constantly and pinching the nerves. I have the equivalent in my feet, called TARSAL tunnel syndrome because of my ankles constantly dislocating and pinching the nerves. That damage causes my feet to sometimes feel like they're on fire, sometimes like they've got parasthesia (pins and needles like when your blood supply gets temporarily cut off), and sometimes it feels like I'm walking in socks full of broken glass. The neurologist did a test where they send electric shocks through your legs to get your feet and toes to move (which isn't pleasant) and on my right ankle they were freaking out because they were sending MAJOR electricity through me, but it wasn't moving... which confirmed that my tendon was COMPLETELY cut apart... it was no longer attached to anything to pull my foot.      My hands get similar sensations, and I lose the ability to grip things and sometimes I can't hold a pencil, but so far typing only bothers me minimally. I also get shooting pain from my hands to my elbows that feels like a serious electrical current is zapping me. Sometimes it's just a little "shock" feeling when I touch certain parts near the nerve in my wrist.      I have osteo-arthritis in ALL of my joints. My major joints (hips and shoulders) OFTEN pinch nerves, and I could be in the middle of walking just fine when I step down and a nerve is pinched and I'm instantly crippled until it works itself out. Sometimes it takes a few minutes, sometimes a few days.      When I was pregnant with my son in 1994 (before I knew about the EDS) the bottom of my spine curved so severely that I have a permanent pinched nerve at about T-11 and T-12. Sometimes it gets crushed when I'm sleeping, and when I wake up, I'm literally paralyzed from the chest down until I can get myself rolled into another position and it loosens itself out. I wake up several times throughout the night because some joint or another is pinching a nerve, so I have to readjust the way I'm laying.      I also found out that the EDS causes spontaneous rupture of the uterus (which leads almost immediately to death) during pregnancy. The geneticist, rheumatologist and my gynecologist all said it is probably why my son was born a month early. My body couldn't handle any more pressure on the uterus, and it HAD to get him out or it would rupture. I can't have any more kids because the risk of dying from uterine rupture is too great. I also got a torn muscle in my abs while I was pregnant because of the stretching (and he wasn't even very big, geez!) It took almost 10 years to heal, and until then every time I tightened my abs it felt like a knife stabbing me in the spot where it tore.      My right shoulder was injured back when I was in high school... they told me it was a rotator cuff injury caused by all my years of playing baseball and football. I used to be able to throw a softball from deep center field to home plate without exerting much effort, but now I'm lucky to get it from the pitcher's mound to home plate, because so much stuff is torn in there it just doesn't mechanically work that way anymore. They told me back then it would heal in a few months, but it never did... now we know why.      The EDS has also caused me to be prone to MANY other injuries, and since I was working my body so hard all those years, I got lots of them. I have permanent plantar fasciitis and sesamoiditis in my feet too. It's from overuse of the tendons in the feet, and in normal people it heals with a few months rest, but for me the tendons are permanently damaged.      My finger and toe joints also dislocate, and pinch nerves just like the others. It hardly takes any resistance at all to dislocate and hyper-extend them, so it happens often, and sometimes I have to just not move them until it works out or else it's EXTREMELY painful.      I've gained about 100 pounds since I had to quit the fire department, because of not being able to be as active, and it's been nearly impossible to exercise enough to work it off. Just limiting calories isn't working. The extra weight is making my joints hurt worse, so I'm trying SO hard to get it off, but it's just not happening. I can swim, but my heart rate doesn't get up high enough and stay high long enough to burn much calories. Also the water resistance alone is enough to pull my joints apart, so even though I'm floating and none of my body weight is on them, all of my movements are happening with my shoulders, wrists, hips, knees and ankles in dislocated position. I can only do gentle walking on the treadmill and lift light weights, and even that much takes ALOT of effort and is extremely painful. I have to have 2 days of rest between weight lifting days for my muscle fibers to heal.      I went back to work part time as soon as I was able, and a few months ago it became necessary to work more hours to help support my mother, because she's been going blind for a few years and hasn't been able to work. She had a cornea transplant that left her in worse condition than she was before. The extra hours have been very emotionally rewarding, because I love my job, but it's really taking a toll on my body.      For about two months now I've been having EXCRUCIATING pain all over, but beyond description in my left knee. I need to stay off of it, but I can't because my mom HAS to have that extra money or she'll lose her house. I spend almost 100% of the hours that I'm not working out or working laying in bed with my legs propped, constantly changing positions to suit my joints, trying to rest them. That's why you see me on Zorpia alot. My waking hours that I'm laying down, I'm on here.      Sometimes the pain is so bad that I pass out asleep for several hours when I get home from work. Sometimes it's so bad the tears pour out and I can't stop them. Sometimes it hurts so bad I puke. I compare it to childbirth, and in all honesty, childbirth was nothing compared to this. Childbirth was just like menstrual cramps from Hell for a few hours then it was over. This is ALL the time. It's never gone, and I never have full use of my body. Imagine feeling like you're being stabbed and electrocuted all over your body constantly throughout the day, throw in a little bit of inability to get your body to move the way it should no matter how hard you try and you'll know how I feel. I used to refuse to take my pain medicine unless I felt like I was dying, and my meds usually expired before I'd get halfway through the bottle, but now with working these extra hours, I've had to take 2-4 pain pills a day (still under the allowed dosage, don't worry, and they're non-addictive.)      I went to the doctor the other day, and he gave me an extra medicine to help with the inflammation and pain, and he said if I'm not hurting less in a month, I'm going to have to have surgery on my knee. Problem with that is that the EDS causes me to not heal properly, so I would be off work for a LONG time before it'd be healed enough to work again. My mom can't afford that. Also the effects on the skin and tissue healing mean they have to use a special type of suture using a special stitch pattern, or else adhesive to close my wounds, and it stays an open wound about 3 times longer than a normal person. Plus if I couldn't workout for that long, I'd probably gain another 50 pounds and end up bedridden.      That's what happened to my dad's mom. She had her worst problems with her hips, so they did a hip replacement surgery (not knowing about the EDS)... it didn't help, so they did it AGAIN. She was immobile for so long she put on alot of weight, then the hip still wasn't better, and it couldn't support her weight, so she spent about the last 20 years of her life in a hospital bed in her bedroom. They had to put a portable toilet in there, and she had to have help bathing. I don't want to end up like that!      I think that's about all there is to tell about the Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Feel free to ask me any questions. I also have a huge list of other problems that may or may not be caused/affected by the EDS: TMJ, ADD, IBS, hiatal hernia with ulcerated esophagus, polycystic ovarian syndrome, my EDS-weakened blood vessels in my face ruptured from suntanning so now my cheeks are always red, I had a tonsil rupture and half of it was dangling down my throat once before they finally took them out when I was 25, I have scars all over me even from minor scratches, I have SEVERE allergies all year, and chronic bronchitis and sometimes asthma because of it, and I have sleep apnea which I've had ALL MY LIFE (not because of my weight, which happens in SOME cases, but not mine.) The doctor said my blood tests consistently show two proteins that are so high they're through the roof... one of them indicates allergic reactions, the other indicates inflammation (like arthritis). I used to donate blood regularly, but they won't accept my blood anymore because they can't accept the "inflammation" protein being so high.      My son has some of the same problems with dislocation and pain, but we found out early enough with him that we've been able to be very careful not to cause injuries, so he should be able to go MUCH longer in his life before having problems like mine. He WILL pass this on to his children though. I'm not sure if it will only be to his daughters or if the sons can get it from him too, but in my family it has gone girl to boy to girl to boy through the generations, and my two brothers didn't get it from my dad, only me. I also don't know if the boys are then carriers or not, because they currently don't have a DNA test for that yet. Hopefully they will have a cure or treatment by the time my grandchildren come. <div align="center">Thanks for reading! If you got through all that, you deserve a medal!! </div> Personal http://www.zorpia.cn/ChristiRose/journal/1779122 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 21:08 EST RIP Larry http://www.zorpia.cn/ChristiRose/journal/1743226 This morning I recalled how Halloween was one of my favorite holidays growing up. Today Halloween isn't so happy for me.This morning my mom was spending the night at her cousin's house, and they woke up to a bunch of fire trucks across the street. My mom related me the story of watching them for a few hours out the window, wondering what was going on, but it didn't seem to worry me too much.This evening after Trick-or-Treating was over, my mom was telling my brother about it, and her cousin had called and said that the newspaper reported that there had been a fatality in the fire, and she asked me if I knew anyone with the last name of Hanna, and then it hit me... my friend Larry and his family live across the street from my mom's cousin, I just hadn't thought about that when she'd told me earlier.My friend Larry, and very sweet man who loved his wife and son, loved video games, and was just an overall sweet guy... is dead at age 42.   :(The news reports don't have much information, so I will be updating this journal as more info becomes available... for now, here are links to the current news reports:  <a href="http://www.chestertontribune.com/PoliceFireEmergency/10313%20man_found_dead_after_early_morni.htm">Photo: Man found dead after early morning house fire</a>  By KEVIN NEVERS A man was found dead today at the scene of a house fire in the 300 block of South 23rd Street in Porter. As of deadline the name of the victim had not been released, but after the Tribune went to press Porter Police identified the deceased as Laurence T. Hanna, 42. An autopsy was scheduled for this afternoon in South Bend. Porter Fire Chief Lewis Craig was at the scene of the fire this morning, was unable to speak to the Chesterton Tribune, and did not return a call. The Porter County Fire Investigation Strike Team (FIST) and a State Fire Marshal were also at the scene, but FIST Director Jim Branham said that the investigation was still in its early stages and that no information about the cause of the fire was yet available. This much is known, however. At 3:58 a.m. both the Porter and Chesterton fire departments were toned out under an automatic aid agreement between the two. Under the terms of that agreement, the PFD responds automatically to any structure fire in the Town of Chesterton, and the CFD is supposed to respond automatically to any structure fire in the Town of Porter. For some time, though, perhaps as long as two years, and at Craigâ€™s specific request, the CFD has not, per the agreement, responded automatically to structure fires in Porter, Chesterton Fire Chief Warren â€œSkipâ€ Highwood told the Tribune. Instead, Highwood said, the CFD remains on standby at its station until Craig formally asks for assistance. Today Craig did ask for assistance, at 4:10 a.m., 12 minutes after the initial tone-out. A Chesterton firefighter, who asked not to be named, said today that there is no way of knowing whether this morningâ€™s fatality could have been prevented had the CFD not been instructed previously to wait on standby. But, he said, fires can double in size every 30 seconds. â€œWould that have made a difference in the fatality or not? I donâ€™t know. But it can make a difference in the size of a fire.â€ â€œWe can respond anywhere in Porter,â€ the Chesterton firefighter said. â€œWe can beat them there. Itâ€™s not a race. Weâ€™re talking about lives. Weâ€™re talking about property. Weâ€™re all in this together.â€ Highwood did say that the PFD automatically responds to every structure fire in Chesterton and does not wait on standby for a request for assistance. Porter Town Council President Bill Sexton was unaware of the fatal fire when contacted this morning. Nor, Sexton said, had he been advised of the specifics of the automatic aid agreement. â€œUnder the circumstances Iâ€™m not comfortable with that,â€ he said. â€œI would like to find out more about what happened this morning. . . . Without that itâ€™s hard for me to comment. I guarantee Iâ€™ll be making some phone calls this morning. We need to get to the bottom of what happened.â€ â€œAt any time that the life of a person is threatened in or near the Town of Chestertonâ€™s borders, and the Town of Chesterton can render assistance to protect person and belongings, I would be more than happy to offer assistance in any shape, way, or form,â€ Chesterton Town Council President Dave Cincoski said. â€œAnd I would be happy to direct the various department heads to assist.â€     Posted 10/31/2007 Personal http://www.zorpia.cn/ChristiRose/journal/1743226 Wed, 31 Oct 2007 22:45 EST Dancing With God http://www.zorpia.cn/ChristiRose/journal/1733700  When I meditated on the word Guidance,  I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word.    I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.    When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.    The movement doesn't flow with the music,    and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.    When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead,    both bodies begin to flow with the music.    One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back    or by pressing Lightly in one direction or another.    It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.     The dance takes surrender, willingness,    and attentiveness from one person    and gentle guidance and skill from the other.    My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.    When I saw "G": I thought of God, followed by "u" and "I".    "God, "u" and "I" dance."    God, you, and I dance.    As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust    that I would get  guidance about my life.    Once again, I became willing to let God lead.    My prayer for you today is that God's blessings    and mercies are upon you on this day and everyday.    May you abide in God, as God   abides in you.    Dance together with God, trusting God to lead    and to guide you through each season of your life.    This prayer is powerful and there is nothing attached.    If God has done anything for  you in your life,    please share this message with someone else.   There is no cost but a lot of rewards;    so let's continue to pray for one another.    And I Hope You Dance ! Religion & Ethics http://www.zorpia.cn/ChristiRose/journal/1733700 Fri, 05 Oct 2007 13:52 EST The Weeping WIllow http://www.zorpia.cn/ChristiRose/journal/1724111 This is for my friend Cat: Her head is always bowing down,Her eyes never face the sky.Her tears fill the river at her feet,If you listen you can hear her sigh. Her hair falls all about herAnd sways gently in the breeze. Lost in oblivious despair,She's not like the other trees.She doesn't even noticeThe people who stop to stare.Mesmerized by her peaceful presenceTime seems to linger there.She's strong but thinks that she's fragile,She's beautiful but she doesn't see.She's too busy weeping and longingTo know how happy she should be. <a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l216/cstargeorge/untitled-1.jpg" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket" /></a> Personal http://www.zorpia.cn/ChristiRose/journal/1724111 Tue, 04 Sep 2007 23:28 EST Sadness beyond measure part 2 http://www.zorpia.cn/ChristiRose/journal/1693593 Today was Christopher's funeral. Here is the poem I wrote, which I read at the funeral: To Christopher I hardly thought the day would come, I'd say these words, especially here. I never said them when I should, all I can hope now is that you hear. I wasn't hard on you 'cuz I didn't love you, I only thought it was the best. It was just the aunt in me, that was mostly discipline, sometimes jest. I don't think I ever told you, how much fun you were to be around. I'll miss you every time we play cards; how you took forever when you're turn came around. I want to be able to tease you again, that you're trying to hold too many cards. I never got to show you what I bought you so that holding them wouldn't be so hard. I was hoping when you saw them you'd know that I was thinking of you when you weren't even there. So that without me actually saying the words you'd just automatically know how much I cared. It was only a couple of weeks ago, Memorial Day I think, you were laying on the couch with a headache, so I gave you some medicine and water to drink. I went from indifference quickly to concern when I found out you were in pain. I wanted to do the best I could to take all your pain away. That's all I ever wanted to do, and wish I could have done. To take away your pain and let you know you weren't alone.  For the rest of us Where's Christopher? I'd yawn. Took off on his bike without telling anyone again. One minute he was here, next minute he was gone. Where's Christopher? It's barely dawn! Went down to fish at Black Bridge again. One minute he was here, next minute he was gone. Where's Christopher? Thought he was mowing the lawn? Went to the park on his bike again. One minute he was here, next minute he was gone. Where's Christopher today? Will I still be expecting to see him, to hear his laugh, will this last long? One minute he was here, next minute he was gone. NEWS ARTICLE UPDATE  <a href="http://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/2007/06/16/news/top_news/doc67bc5ef2cfe2c3bb862572fb007f7026.txt">http://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/2007/06/16/news/top_news/doc67bc5ef2cfe2c3bb862572fb007f7026.txt</a><h2>Slain teen 'still just a boy'</h2> Saturday, June 16, 2007 12:46 AM CDTPORTAGE | Friends and family turned out en masse Friday for the visitation and funeral service for Christopher Janus, the South Haven 15-year-old who was beaten to death last week. Although the events of the past week have been tragic, those attending services at the Edmonds and Evans Chapel wanted to remember only the good things about Janus, who recently completed his freshman year at Portage High School and was preparing to spend part of his summer vacation visiting his father in Kentucky. "He was a great boy," said Keri Seamon, the best friend of Janus' mother. "He was genuine and he loved his family. ... He was just a regular kid." Seamon also said Janus loved hunting, fishing and playing football. Surrounded with support, Janus' mother, Dana Kalbe, said her son cared a lot about his friends and had a good heart. Kalbe also recalled a characteristic of her son's personality: one that most mothers with a 15-year-old son can relate to. "He tried to act like a tough teenager, but he was still just a boy." she said. Seamon mentioned that while Janus was "quick with his mouth," he was still "very funny." With numerous memories to speak of and at the suggestion of Janus' mother, Seamon remembered one story in particular that she said described Janus' kind and giving personality. Seamon recalled a fire, the aftermath of which required hauling large boxes as well as extensive cleanup. "He helped and wouldn't take any money that he was offered," she said. "He would always help someone, even if they didn't ask." BREAKOUT Murder charge Mark Easter, 20, of South Haven is charged with murder in the June 9 beating death of Christopher Janus. Easter pleaded not guilty in Porter Superior Court and remains jailed without bond. The case was set for trial Dec. 3. Easter faces up to 50 years in prison if convicted.   UPDATE: Christopher's Memorial Guest Book  <a href="http://www.legacy.com/nwitimes/GB/GuestbookView.aspx?PersonId=89017808">http://www.legacy.com/nwitimes/GB/GuestbookView.aspx?PersonId=89017808 </a><a> </a><a href="http://www.legacy.com/nwitimes/GB/GuestbookView.aspx?PersonId=89017808">UPDATE: </a><a href="http://www.legacy.com/nwitimes/GB/GuestbookView.aspx?PersonId=89017808">Memorial </a>placed at the site of Christopher's death <a href="http://photos.zorpia.com/ChristiRose/photo/23284479.827889"><img border="0" src="http://nor.zorpia.com/0/3638/23284479.827889.jpg" alt="Zorpia Photo Sharing: Free Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth" /></a> Personal http://www.zorpia.cn/ChristiRose/journal/1693593 Sat, 16 Jun 2007 00:06 EST Sadness beyond measure http://www.zorpia.cn/ChristiRose/journal/1690725 <div align="center"> <embed width="320" height="240" align="middle" src="http://flashstar.zorpia.com/zShow/zShow.swf" menu="false" swliveconnect="true" bgcolor="#FFFFFF " wmode="transparent" flashvars="lang=en&username=ChristiRose&group_code=null&album_id=854676&transType=Dissolve2&showspeed=4000&transSpeed=1&showCaption=true&captionSize=32&captionColor=#000000&captionBackColor=#FFFFFF&slowGrow=true&showSize=320" name="movie" play="true" loop="false" quality="high" allowscriptaccess="sameDomain" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></div> 5 hours ago, I was on my way home... thinking about what I was going to write in this journal. I was going to ask for prayers for my 15 year old nephew, because he was taken to the hospital by ambulance, and was in bad condition. I couldn't have told you much more than that, because that's all I knew at the time. I was going to say that my nephew is ornery, and has gotten into some trouble in his short life, and we haven't always gotten along, but just like is usually the case with family, when it comes down to it, I really do love him.I was only half-way home when I got the call that I needed to turn around and go back. It was too late to ask for prayers... he was already dead. Only 15 and gone. I'll never play cards with him again. My son will never ride bikes with him again. None of us will ever hug him again.Why?? Because a 20 year old decided to beat him to death a few blocks from his house. He was on his way home from a party. He had gotten into a verbal altercation inside the house, and this person, who is SUPPOSED to be an adult, followed him, chased him down, and beat him so badly the neighbors heard it inside their house, and came out of their house to pull him off of my nephew; a child. They called the ambulance, but too much damage was done.Now my sister-in-law has lost her first baby. My niece lost her big brother. My son lost his cousin and friend. The hardest thing to hear was my brother telling my 7 year old niece that her brother was dead. I'm so sad and angry at the same time that I don't know whether to cry or vomit.Please pray for my nephew's family. His dad and other brother are on their way here from another state, and don't have a cell phone, so they don't even know yet... they only knew he was in the hospital. It's hard to keep Christian thoughts in times like this, because it's so easy to be angry, and to hate the person who did this. My son was so angry when he heard how it happened. I don't know how to take that hurt away from him.I'll update this when I get any new information, but please bear with me in the coming days if I'm not my usual self, and if I'm not replying quickly. Thanks   :'( ***UPDATE: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/2007/06/09/updates/breaking_news/doc466af0799de92708211276.txt">http://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/2007/06/09/updates/breaking_news/doc466af0799de92708211276.txt</a>Police investigating 15-year-old boy's death Saturday, June 9, 2007 1:26 PM CDT SOUTH HAVEN | Police are investigating the death of a 15-year-old South Haven boy, who had suffered some sort of physical trauma overnight, according to Porter County Coroner Vicki Deppe. The boy's identity is not being released until all family members have been notified, she said. The boy was injured in the South Haven area late Friday evening and was pronounced dead early Saturday at Porter hospital in Valparaiso, Deppe said. "It looks like there was some physical violence that had occurred," she said. The boy was not shot or stabbed, though Deppe could not elaborate further on his injuries. An autopsy is planned for Monday, she said. The county sheriff's department plans to release information on the case later today. ****UPDATE (not much new news, but a little update from the same article) <a href="http://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/2007/06/10/news/porter_county/doc0c69826498a1872a862572f60005cf8d.txt">http://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/2007/06/10/news/porter_county/doc0c69826498a1872a862572f60005cf8d.txt</a> <h2>1 in custody in teen's death</h2> Sunday, June 10, 2007 12:13 AM CDTTimes Staff Report SOUTH HAVEN | Police have a man in custody in connection with the violent death of a South Haven teen Saturday. One man is being held, and police are interviewing him and witnesses, said Porter County police spokesman Sgt. Tim Emmons. Police did not release the man's name Saturday. Christopher Janus, 15, suffered some sort of physical trauma in the South Haven area late Friday evening and was pronounced dead early Saturday at Porter hospital in Valparaiso, said Porter County Coroner Vicki Deppe. "It looks like there was some physical violence that had occurred," she said. The boy was not shot or stabbed. Deppe would not elaborate further on his injuries. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday. *****UPDATE 6/11/07: <a href="http://www.chestertontribune.com/PoliceFireEmergency/6117%20south_haven_boy_15_dies_after_al.htm">http://www.chestertontribune.com/PoliceFireEmergency/6117%20south_haven_boy_15_dies_after_al.htm</a> South Haven boy, 15, dies after altercation; man in custodyA 15-year-old South Haven boy died early Saturday possibly from injuries sustained in a fight with a 20-year-old man, the Porter County Sheriffâ€™s Police said. Coroner Victoria Deppe identified the victim today as Christopher Janus and said that he was pronounced dead at Porter Valparaiso Hospital Campus shortly after midnight on Saturday. The cause of death remains undetermined and an autopsy was scheduled for this afternoon in South Bend. Deppe told the Chesterton Tribune that Janus sustained external trauma to his head and chest but that there is no sign he was shot or stabbed. Meanwhile, the 20-year-old man is in custody and is being held without bond but so far has not been charged, PCSP Public Information Officer Tim Emmons said. Emmons declined to identify the man but did say that he resides in South Haven. Investigators will be conferring with the Prosecuting Attorneyâ€™s Office about possible charges, he added. Emmons released little additional information except to say that officers were dispatched at 10:39 p.m. Friday to a residence on Piedmont Road in response to a report of a disturbance and fight. That fight apparently involved the 15-year-old boy and the 20-year-old man, he said.The investigation is ongoing.    <a href="http://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/2007/06/11/updates/breaking_news/doc466db2cad1e01840781830.txt">http://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/2007/06/11/updates/breaking_news/doc466db2cad1e01840781830.txt</a> <h2>Police: Disagreement may have resulted in South Haven boy's death</h2> Monday, June 11, 2007 3:41 PM CDT VALPARAISO | Police believe a disagreement over a female resulted in this weekend's death of a 15-year-old South Haven boy. Mark Easter, 20, of 442 Piedmont Road in South Haven, is being held without bond at the county jail in connection with the incident, according to Porter County police spokesman Sgt. Tim Emmons. Easter's sister, Dora Easter, 18, who was arrested on a charge of underage drinking following the incident, bonded out Saturday. Porter County Prosecutor Brian Gensel said a decision on further charges would be made Tuesday morning. The disagreement over a mutual female acquaintance began shortly after 10:30 p.m. Friday at Easter's home, according to Emmons. The subjects left the residence and wound up in a rear yard at 439 Piedmont Road where Christopher Janus was later found unconscious with injuries to his head and face. Janus, who lived at 411 Plymouth Road, was taken to Porter hospital in Valparaiso and was pronounced dead a short time later, Emmons said. An autopsy was under way Monday afternoon in South Bend, according to Porter County Coroner Vicki Deppe. Police said Easter and his sister had been drinking prior to the altercation. They are unsure if Janus had been drinking. Mark Easter, who is 6 feet tall and 285 pounds, was taken into custody at the scene, Emmons said. Dora Easter was later taken into custody after being found with a blood alcohol concentration of .088, he said. Emmons was unsure what role if any Dora Easter played in the crime.   ******UPDATE 6/12/07 <a href="http://www.chestertontribune.com/PoliceFireEmergency/6129%20murder_charge_filed_in_death_of.htm">http://www.chestertontribune.com/PoliceFireEmergency/6129%20murder_charge_filed_in_death_of.htm</a> Murder charge filed in death of teen The South Haven man who is accused of beating a 15-year-old boy who later died has been charged with murder. Mark J. Easter, 20, of 442 Piedmont Road, is being held without bond. He was originally charged with aggravated battery but after reviewing the evidence Porter County Prosecuting Attorney Brian Gensel this morning upgraded that charge to murder. The victim, Christopher J. Janus, who also resided in South Haven, was pronounced dead shortly after midnight on Saturday at Porter Valparaiso Hospital Campus. Coroner Vicki Deppe told the Chesterton Tribune today that an autopsy conducted on Monday in South Bend indicated that Janusâ€™ injuries, chiefly to the head and chest, were consistent with those which could be inflicted by a beating and appear to have been fatal. The cause of death has not yet been formally determined, however, pending the results of a toxicology screen and microscopic tissue study, she said. Deppe added that Janus weighed approximately 165 pounds and stood around 5â€™8â€™â€™. Easter is 285 pounds in weight and 6â€™ 0â€™â€™ in height, Porter County Sheriffâ€™s Police spokesman Tim Emmons said. According to police, the altercation occurred around 10:39 p.m. Friday. Janus was found lying unconscious in the back yard of the residence at 439 Piedmont Road, whose occupant called 911 to report a male subjectâ€™s cussing and yelling â€œwake up.â€ The occupant subsequently identified that subject as Easter, who was taken into custody in the front yard of that residence. In his probable cause affidavit, Det. Jeff Biggs of the PCSP stated that Easter, Janus, Easterâ€™s girlfriend, and Easterâ€™s sister had been drinking at Easterâ€™s residence. At some point, Easter advised police, he suspected Janus of â€œhitting onâ€ his girlfriend and kicked both his girlfriend and Janus out of the house. He then chased Janus down the street. To one officer, Biggs stated, Easter admitted hitting Janus twice with a closed fist while they were both standing, then punching Janus in the face when he fell to the ground. On the fourth punch, Easter advised the officer, he heard Janus â€œsnoring,â€ then punched him approximately six more times in the face. To Biggs himself, Biggs also stated, Easter admitted kneeling on Janusâ€™ right side and leaning over him to pin his left arm to the ground. A witness further advised police that he observed Easter stomp on Janusâ€™ chest â€œwith his foot in a very hard fashion,â€ Biggs stated. In addition, Easter â€œfreelyâ€ told the first officer on the scene that he had beaten Janus â€œand that he should have stopped hitting him sooner.â€ Murder is punishable by a term of 30 to 60 years in prison. The charge was filed before Porter Superior Court Judge Roger Bradford, and a video arraignment is expected within the next two days. Meanwhile, Easterâ€™s sister, Dora K. Easter, 18, has been charged with minor consumption of alcohol. Police said that she registered a blood alcohol content of .088 percent and was transported to Porter County Jail but later released on bond.  <a href="http://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/2007/06/12/news/top_news/doc32a92fcffdafcf19862572f80007ad6e.txt">http://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/2007/06/12/news/top_news/doc32a92fcffdafcf19862572f80007ad6e.txt</a><h2>Police: Fight over female led to boy's death </h2> Tuesday, June 12, 2007 1:00 AM CDTVALPARAISO | An autopsy Monday failed to show a conclusive cause of death for a 15-year-old South Haven boy who died Friday after a fight with a man over a female acquaintance, officials said. "I don't have any conclusive cause of death yet," Porter County Coroner Vicki Deppe said after a lengthy autopsy in South Bend. Mark Easter, 20, of 442 Piedmont Road in South Haven, is being held without bond at the Porter County Jail on a felony charge of aggravated battery in connection with Christopher Janus' death, Porter County police spokesman Sgt. Tim Emmons said. Deppe said initial autopsy finding are "consistent with a physical altercation." Additional information probably won't be available until early next week, Deppe said. Toxicology tests and microscopic studies have been ordered. Porter County Prosecutor Brian Gensel said a decision on further charges would be made this morning. The disagreement over the mutual acquaintance began shortly after 10:30 p.m. Friday at Easter's home, Emmons said. Janus and Easter left the residence and wound up in a backyard at 439 Piedmont Road, where Janus later was found unconscious with injuries to his head and face. Janus, who lived at 411 Plymouth Road, was taken to Porter Valparaiso Hospital Campus and was pronounced dead a short time later, Emmons said. Easter's sister, Dora Easter, 18, who was arrested on a charge of underage drinking following the incident, bonded out of jail Saturday. Police said Easter and his sister had been drinking prior to the altercation. They are unsure if Janus had been drinking. Mark Easter was taken into custody at the scene, Emmons said. Dora Easter later was taken into custody after being found with a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.088, he said. Emmons was unsure what role, if any, Dora Easter played in the crime.   <a href="http://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/2007/06/12/news/top_news/doce6e52f272e2cd3e8862572f8000312c0.txt">http://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/2007/06/12/news/top_news/doce6e52f272e2cd3e8862572f8000312c0.txt</a><h2>Witness: Man attacked boy's limp body</h2> Tuesday, June 12, 2007 1:00 AM CDT SOUTH HAVEN | Mark Easter was out of control, according to witnesses. Easter, who is in police custody in connection with the Friday night death of 15-year-old Christopher Janus, was pulled from the boy's unresponsive body and then delivered more blows before leaving the scene, the witnesses said. Easter, 20, and Janus were at the Easter family's Piedmont Road home when an argument started, police said. Easter then apparently chased Janus into a neighbor's yard and beat him. The neighbor, David Trial, was about to make a late-night sandwich when he heard a commotion outside about 10:30 p.m. Trial said he heard a voice outside his window that he recognized as Easter's say, "I think I killed him. Don't call the law." Trial, 64, went into his backyard, where he found Easter punching a body behind a large truck tire used as a planter. "He kept saying, 'You (expletive), wake up,'" said Trial, who pulled Easter away from Janus. Easter then moved back to Janus and hit him "as hard as he could" in the face and stomped hard on his chest before leaving the yard, Trial said. "He (Janus) had footprints all over his chest," said Trial, who held flashlights for emergency medical personnel when they arrived to work on Janus. "His face looked like he'd been hit by a car," Trial said. Easter returned to the Trial yard a few minutes later, saying he would evade police. But Trial's wife, Karen, told Easter to lie down in the yard and wait for police to arrive, and Easter complied, Trial said. Trial's daughter, Tammy Millender, who lives at the same house, said anger rather than alcohol seemed to be spurring Easter. "He was totally mad. He didn't seem to be drunk," she said. "It literally sounded like someone was going crazy," Millender said. Meanwhile, two streets over, Janus' mother and stepfather, Dana and Andy Kalbe, were waiting for Janus to come home for his 11 p.m. curfew when police arrived to tell them of the attack. Andy Kalbe said his stepson was 5 feet, 7 inches, and weighed 172 pounds. According to police, Easter is 6 feet tall and 285 pounds. Janus, who just finished his freshman year at Portage High School, was to have traveled the next morning to Kentucky for an extended visit with his father, Kalbe said. The Kalbes said Janus enjoyed hunting, fishing and playing football. "He cared about his friends. He had a good heart," Dana Kalbe said of her son. On Monday, David Trial said he occasionally heard Easter "cussing out" his grandparents from across the street, but that he had a good relationship with Easter. Easter often played cards and drank pop at the Trial home and was always respectful with the family, Trial said. "Our kids loved Marky," Millender said. But for Trial, the weekend incident changed his thinking. "When I saw how violent he was ... I lost all respect for that kid," Trial said.  <a href="http://www.post-trib.com/news/423821,shmurder.article">http://www.post-trib.com/news/423821,shmurder.article</a><div class="story_headline">Charges pending against man held in death of 15-year-old</div> <div class="date">June 12, 2007</div> <div class="byline">By Christin Nance Lazerus Post-Tribune staff writer</div> Porter County Sheriff's police are holding a man in connection with the death of 15-year-old Christopher Janus on Saturday. Mark J. Easter, 20, of South Haven, is in custody at the Porter County Jail without bond and charges are pending at this time. At about 10:39 p.m. Friday, police said they found Janus in the back yard at 442 Piedmont Road in South Haven, where he was unconscious with injuries to his face and head after a fight at a party. Janus was pronounced dead Saturday at Porter hospital. Police allege Easter became upset with the victim over things he had heard about a mutual female acquaintance and a fight began at Easter's home. The subjects left the residence and continued fighting through several yards and into a back yard of 439 Piedmont Road, police said. Police said Easter had been drinking prior to the altercation, but do not know if the victim had been drinking. Easter's sister Dora, 18, was later arrested on a charge of underage drinking and a breath test showed her blood-alcohol level at 0.088 percent. The legal limit in Indiana is 0.08 percent An autopsy was performed Monday afternoon. An investigation is ongoing and detectives said they will meet with Porter County Prosecutors to determine what charges will be filed. ********UPDATE 6/13/07 <a href="http://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/2007/06/13/news/top_news/doc13346e36b288e09d862572f9000248d1.txt">http://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/2007/06/13/news/top_news/doc13346e36b288e09d862572f9000248d1.txt</a><h2>South Haven man charged with murdering 15-year-old boy</h2>Wednesday, June 13, 2007 12:57 AM CDT VALPARAISO | South Haven resident Mark Easter was surprised to learn Tuesday afternoon he was charged with murder in the weekend beating death of a 15-year-old neighbor. Easter said during his initial hearing he thought he would be facing the lesser charge of aggravated battery, which is what he was booked in with at the county jail, according to Porter Superior Judge Roger Bradford. A not guilty plea was entered on Easter's behalf, and the 20-year-old remains behind bars without bond. He said he plans to hire a private attorney. The case was set for trial Dec. 3, with preliminary hearings Oct. 1 and Nov. 5. Easter, of 442 Piedmont Road, faces up to 50 years behind bars if found guilty of murdering Christopher Janus. Porter County Prosecutor Brian Gensel said earlier in the day the case does not involve the factors necessary to pursue the death penalty. Gensel said authorities continue to investigate and will determine if others will be charged. Preliminary results from Monday's autopsy showed injuries consistent with a beating death, said Porter County Coroner Vicki Deppe. The injuries were concentrated around the boy's head and chest, she said. It is too early to rule on the cause of death or determine if Janus was drinking alcohol with the others, Deppe said. It will be a couple weeks before all the test results are in, she said. County police said Easter admitted to repeatedly punching Janus in the face, even after the boy was unconscious. David Trial, who went out in his backyard at 439 Piedmont Road with a flashlight when he heard the disturbance shortly after 10:30 p.m. Friday, said he saw Easter punching the boy on the ground and yelling, "Wake up, you (expletive)," according to police. "Mark Easter stomped on Janus' chest with his foot in a very hard fashion," Trial told police. Andy Kalbe told The Times Monday his stepson was 5 feet 7 inches, and weighed 172 pounds. Easter is 6 feet tall and 285 pounds, police said. While another witness said she heard Easter say he intended to kill someone, Easter told police he did not want to kill Janus. Easter said he and others were drinking beer at his house when he heard Janus "hitting on" his girlfriend, Marissa Wilken. Easter said he kicked Wilken and Janus out of the house and then chased Janus down the street and beat him. Easter's sister, Dora Easter, 18, was charged with underage drinking following the beating death. Janus, who just finished his freshman year at Portage High School, was to have traveled the next morning to Kentucky for an extended visit with his father, Kalbe said.  <a href="http://www.post-trib.com/news/425295,shbeatingfolo.article">http://www.post-trib.com/news/425295,shbeatingfolo.article</a>South Haven man pleads not guilty in teen's murder June 13, 2007SOUTH HAVEN -- Porter County Prosecutor Brian Gensel charged Mark Easter with murder on Tuesday in connection with the death of Christopher Janus. The 20-year-old Easter of South Haven is being held without bond in Porter County Jail. He was arraigned via video by Judge Roger Bradford on Tuesday, and he entered a plea of not guilty. His trial is scheduled for Dec. 3. Porter County Coroner Victoria Deppe has not ruled on a definitive cause of death for Janus, but she expects to make a ruling within the next week. "The injuries were consistent with a death that would occur with a beating," Deppe said. Police pieced together what happened that night through interviews with Easter and other witnesses. David and Karen Trial say they can't forget the shock of what happened in their back yard on Friday. "When (Mark Easter) came to our back door, he was like a wild animal," Karen Trial said. "That's what I see at night when I try to close my eyes at night. "Here we are in our home, doing nothing, hurting nobody and all of a sudden there's a murder in your back yard." That's when he told the Trials he thought he'd killed Janus and not to call police. Janus' stepfather, Andy Kalbe, said police came to tell them that Janus had been hurt at about 11 p.m. Friday -- his curfew. "His dad was coming from Kentucky to pick him up the next day," Kalbe said. Later, the police came back to tell them the tragic news and to transport the family to the hospital. Kalbe said it's a difficult time for the family. "I'm just trying to keep busy and keep my mind off it," he said. "I've met four or five of my neighbors for the first time because of this. It's a pretty strong community." The Trial family plans to set up a memorial for Janus in their back yard. "We didn't know Chris, but he's like a kindred spirit to us now," Karen Trial said. "I pray to God that Chris was knocked out with the first couple of blows and didn't feel all that was done to him." David Trial shook his head at the thought that the same man who would play Monopoly with his grandchildren could be capable of beating someone to death. "I liked him until I saw how violent he was out there. He acted like he was trying to kill the kid," Trial said.  Personal http://www.zorpia.cn/ChristiRose/journal/1690725 Sat, 09 Jun 2007 05:45 EST New baby! http://www.zorpia.cn/ChristiRose/journal/1686289 <div align="left">Here is a little video of my step-niece's new baby being held by my mom, her step-great-grandma.She's such  a little cutie, and her name is Nevaeh (Heaven backwards)   <object width="425" height="350"><param value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2m6rqKn8pGI" name="movie" /><embed width="425" height="350" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2m6rqKn8pGI" /></object></div> Personal http://www.zorpia.cn/ChristiRose/journal/1686289 Mon, 28 May 2007 15:12 EST Sad reminders of you http://www.zorpia.cn/ChristiRose/journal/1685542 I was on my way to a wedding today... in a hurry because I was late.I was in a good mood, cuz people are always happy at weddings you know. Then I realized I was passing that road we used to turn down when I used to take you to work, and I got sad. And then I passed that place we used to go out for dinner. And I remembered that long road trip on that same highway, when we were stuck in traffic in the heat... remember we stopped for something cold to drink. I was wearing your favorite red shirt, the one that's cut real low, and you could barely take your eyes off me to watch the road. This was the first time I'd been this way since you left. It just ripped my heart out again. Personal http://www.zorpia.cn/ChristiRose/journal/1685542 Sun, 27 May 2007 01:45 EST Just a sweet little story http://www.zorpia.cn/ChristiRose/journal/1677781 (this is a story that I did not write, I'm just sharing it) Saying Grace in a restaurant <div> </div> <div align="left">    Last week, I took my children to a restaurant.</div><div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"> </div>    My six-year-old son asked if he could say grace.<div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"> </div>    As we bowed our heads he said, "God is good, God is great. Thank you for the food, and I would even thank you more if Mom gets us ice cream for dessert. And Liberty and justice for all! Amen!"<div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"> </div>    Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby, I heard a woman remark, "That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray. Asking God for ice cream! Why, I never!"<div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"> </div>    Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, "Did I do it wrong? Is God mad at me?"<div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"> </div>    As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job, and God was certainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman approached the table.  He winked at my son and said, "I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer." <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"> </div><div align="left"> </div>    "Really?" my son asked.<div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"> </div>    "Cross my heart," the man replied.<div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"> </div>    Then, in a theatrical whisper, he added (indicating the woman whose remark had started this whole thing), "Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes."<div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"> </div>    Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal. My son stared at his for a moment, and then did something I will remember the rest of my life.<div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"> </div>    He picked up his sundae and, without a word, walked over and placed it in front of the woman. With a big smile he told her, "Here, this is for you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes; and my soul is good already."<div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"> </div>    The End<div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"> </div>    I love this story!<div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"> </div>    Please keep it moving.<div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"> </div>    Sometimes, we all need some ice cream.<div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"> </div>    I hope God sends you some Ice Cream today! Religion & Ethics http://www.zorpia.cn/ChristiRose/journal/1677781 Mon, 07 May 2007 07:04 EST Update on my son's trip http://www.zorpia.cn/ChristiRose/journal/1676974 I'm very excited, but still a bit worried. It SEEMS like we've finally raised enough money, but I'm worried because the deadline is Monday, and when I went to make an online payment by debit card, it says the amount is posted to your account in 3 business days, which would mean it won't post until AFTER the deadline. I also overnighted some checks that were given to me by companies for fundraising. They had to be sent directly to the organization because that's who they were made out to, but when I did overnight shipping, it won't arrive until Monday at Noon because they don't ship over the weekend. I have to wait until I call them Monday morning to find out if they will count both as being on time or not. If not, I will be VERY upset, because not only will he not be able to go, but we will only get a partial refund because it will be considered a late withdrawal.  I have been really humbled by the generosity of a few people who helped in BIG ways. A friend of mine from work, who I went to high school with, and her husband gave $200 towards his trip. I almost had a heart attack when I saw that check! I wouldn't have been surprised to have seen a check for $20 from a friend, but THAT was shocking! It made me cry! My own family didn't even give that much! I already knew she was a very sweet and caring girl, but it was just a big reminder. The funny thing is, we became friends back in 8th grade after she threatened to beat me up because I had a crush on her boyfriend!!I also was moved by the generosity of a local non-profit who gave $1000, and the owner of the local laundromat, who held 2 fundraisers, and when the total didn't reach $200 he added some of his own money to meet that goal! The people of my church also helped so much through donations and hard work at the fundraisers... they have always been there for my family in so many ways!  So, not only for my son's sake, but for the sake of those who have been so kind and supportive of us, I hope he gets to go on this trip! I'm still praying, but this is one of those times where it becomes hard to trust that what's meant to be will be what you can be happy about... because sometimes God's plans and ours are not the same... I try to remind myself that when I get caught by a red light when I'm in a hurry... maybe if I had made it through, I could have gotten into an accident or something. I may be late and impatient, but at least I'm safe! I hope you all try to remember that, and I hope you find inspiration in the small kindnesses of others... and that you keep that inspiration going by doing some small kindnesses for others yourself! Personal http://www.zorpia.cn/ChristiRose/journal/1676974 Sat, 05 May 2007 09:58 EST Poverty & failing my son http://www.zorpia.cn/ChristiRose/journal/1671751 I am by no means poor. I have an apartment to live in (albeit tiny), food to eat, clothes to wear, my loving family around me, my health (albeit not so great  lol), my Zorpian family (my life would suck without the internet), a car to get me and my family to and from where we need to go, and lots of other blessings that so many people in this world can only dream about. I am a much happy person on the inside now though, than I was when I had much more money. I was never rich, but I never had to go without something I needed.I have been feeling so lucky to be in the circumstances I'm in, where I don't have alot of money, but at least I can be home with my son most of the time. But right now I'm feeling like what I've thought was a blessing really pretty much sucks. Many of you have read about how my son was chosen to go to Hawaii this summer as a student ambassador. We've had several fundraisers, but none of them made as much as we'd hoped, planned or expected. They  were fundraisers like we do often at my church for many causes, and we only made about half of what we usually do. Unfortunately my time has run out to make enough to pay for his trip to Hawaii. We are still $2300 short, and I received a letter today that says if we don't pay what we owe by April 27th (in 5 days!) then he won't be able to go on the trip. The trip isn't for another 2 months, but they are booking the plane tickets now, and have to have his payment before they can include him with the group's tickets. I had to borrow some money to pay my electric bill this month, so I really have nothing to give. Even if I paid some more bills late, or did without food, I couldn't pay anything toward it by then because I have no paychecks coming until the beginning of next month. I knew this was approaching, but I had faith that something would turn up, some way of paying would be made known so I could pay the remaining bill and he could go. Until I got the letter today, I really wasn't all that worried.I need prayers now, if you can spare the time. There is no other person who can intervene now except God. I am feeling so guilty that I haven't been able to provide this for my son. He has been working so hard, helping at the fundraisers and going to monthly, meetings with the group he was supposed to travel with. I've really let him down     :(   Personal http://www.zorpia.cn/ChristiRose/journal/1671751 Sat, 21 Apr 2007 23:51 EST A little inspiration for the day http://www.zorpia.cn/ChristiRose/journal/1668309 I've received this forwarded in emails several times over the years, and it always inspires me... thought I would share it here.  <div class="MsoNormal">It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him. Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday." Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days. "Jack, did you hear me?" "Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said. "Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of the fence' as he put it," Mom told him. "I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said. "You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man's influence in your life," she said. "He's the one who taught me carpentry," he said. "I wouldn't be in this business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important . . . Mom, I'll be there for the funeral," Jack said. As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away. The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time. Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap through space and time. The house was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture . . Jack stopped suddenly. "What's wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked. "The box is gone," he said. "What box?" Mom asked. "There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was 'the thing I value most,'" Jack said. It was gone . Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it. "Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said. "I better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom." It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died. Returning home from work one day, Jack discovered a note in his mailbox . "Signature required on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three days," the note read. Early the next day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention. "Mr. Harold Belser," it read. Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside. "Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It's the thing I valued most in my life." A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, as tears filled his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch. Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover. Inside he found these words engraved: "Jack, Thanks for your time! -- Harold Belser." "The thing he valued most was . . . my time." Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next two days.</div> <div class="MsoNormal"> </div> "Why?" Janet, his assistant, asked. "I need some time to spend with my son," he said. "Oh, by the way, Janet, thanks for your time!" Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away.  Miscellaneous http://www.zorpia.cn/ChristiRose/journal/1668309 Fri, 13 Apr 2007 21:20 EST What's wrong with people these days?? http://www.zorpia.cn/ChristiRose/journal/1658908 For those of you who don't know, my son is going on a trip to Hawaii in June, and we've been having several fundraisers to earn the money to cover the trip costs. My Church has hosted several, including one this past Saturday night, on St. Patrick's Day. It was a traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner. After the dinner that night, someone broke into our Church attempting to steal the fundraiser money that was collected for my son. They busted the front door and the office door, and ruined the safe, but thankfully only got $100 because the person in charge of the fundraiser was smart enough to take the money home that night. Now, I said "thankfully" because it could have been much worse, but our Church is poor, and that $100, plus the cost of repairing the doors and the safe, are beyond our means. We only have about 60 people who attend our services each week, and many of those people are elderly and on fixed income. The people of our Church work hard through fundraisers to support many missions and charities, and we host a soup kitchen too. It's heartbreaking, really, that anyone would steal from a church, let alone from a 12 year old kid trying to raise money for an educational trip. What kind of person does that sort of thing??I've heard that several other churches in my area have had break-ins as well. This is a relatively low crime area (although it gets worse and worse as the population increases.) It just really upsets me that anyone would do this to our Church. My parents and grandparents were married in that Church... it's like family to me! I just don't understand how people end up to be thieves with no conscience. If they are poor, our Church will help them! We regularly find people help to pay their bills, to repair their cars so they can get to work, to get food, clothes, we do anything we can to help people whenever they need it, with no lectures, no attempt to "convert" them or anything. It's just so sad!Here is what today's newspaper said about the incident:"Porter Church broken into after fund-raiser The Methodist Church, at 100 Beam St., was broken into after a large fund-raiser that ended around 10:15 p.m. Saturday. However, the person in charge of the event had taken the proceeds home, so the culprit only got away with about $100 kept in the church office safe. A masonry hammer and a flashlight left behind appeared to have been used to break into the side of the safe, which had been moved into the sanctuary, police said. Total damages, including to the front door and to the interior office door, are estimated at $1,000."  Personal http://www.zorpia.cn/ChristiRose/journal/1658908 Wed, 21 Mar 2007 02:09 EST