my latest project

I have had such bad luck with starting plants inside in years past. In August I attended a workshop with Carol on gardening at George Wythe College. So between that workshop and another series of lessons I have been looking at online, here is how I've improved my luck with planting inside. First I had to find some fluorescent lights. With Bus' expertise this was accomplished thanks to craigs list. Turns out you don't need special grow lights.


The lights have to be 2-4 inches away from the plants. These plants were planted the last Monday in February.

The key ingredient seems to be lots of water and liquid sea kelp. Who knew? Couldn't find that anywhere here in Utah Valley so I found a source in Maine. I have enough to plant 38 acres...
Since I have had such terrible luck in the past, I planted 3 or 4 whole packages of tomato seeds not expecting much. I have over 60 tomato plants that look like they will make it. Memo to self--next year plan on a better yield...Hope some of you will open your homes to juicy ripe tomatoes in August.
Newspaper pots are a cheap alternative to peat pots. Wrap a folded length of newspaper around a tomato sauce can with the bottom cut off then stuff the left-over paper into the end of the can. Fill with potting soil, transplant and water with solution containing liquid sea kelp. Voila!

Grandpa Horne

I have been alone the last three days. Bus is in Washington D.C. and Emily went to St. George with her friends. I won't complain though. It's kind of nice to be foot-loose and fancy-free.
As I wait for stake conference this morning I thought I would try and give a glimpse into the life of another one of our Spencer ancestors, Joseph Horne Jr. His wife's history was covered in another blog, July 2007. They are the couple that met and married and joined the church in Toronto Canada after hearing Parley P. Pratt preach in their neighborhood. Orson Hyde baptized them in July of 1836. They desired to be gathered with the Saints and came to Kirtland where they visited for a week. After inquiring of Joseph Smith about where they should settle they followed his advice and traveled another 100 miles to settle in Far West Missouri. They endured the persecutions, finally moving to Nauvoo in March 1842 where he opened a mercantile business and built a home 1/2 mile east of the Nauvoo temple.
In February 1846 Joseph Horne closed his successful mercantile business in Nauvoo and migrated toward the West with the first company of Saints. He was called by the First Presidency of the Church among others to scout for the best place to camp for the winter. The brethren located an area across the Missouri River in Nebraska which was named Winter Quarters.
He and Isabella came across the plains with the second company which left 2 months after Brigham Young's company. Their good friends from Canada, John and Leonora Taylor were the supervisors of this group. Joseph Horne was the captain of the first fifty.
Although they suffered many hardships along the way, they rejoiced when they finally reached the Valley of the Great Salt Lake. In the words of Isabella, "We arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in the evening of October 6, 1847, after a journey of four months. From the mouth of Emigration Canyon we traveled in the dark, having no guide but the flickering light of the camp fires on Pioneer Square." They had four children by then, Henry age 9, Joseph age 5, Richard age 3 and baby Elizabeth Ann. Our grandmother Leonora Taylor Horne was one of the first children born in Salt Lake City in January of 1849.

The following is a list of pioneering activities done by Joseph Horne Jr. after arriving in the valley:

*August 1848, Joseph was in a company appointed to go with Chief Walker and his band to explore the San Pete Valley resulting in the settlement of Manti.

*In November 1848, Joseph was called to go with Parley P. Pratt on an exploring expedition south. With a company of 50 men and 12 teams they founded Fillmore.

*In December 1850, Joseph was called to accompany George A. Smith and company to settle what is now called Parowan. Joseph built two log houses.

*About 1852, President Brigham Young sent for Joseph to assist Orson Hyde in building a sugar house. Here they first manufactured beet molasses. Then he supervised the transportation of the sugar machinery which was shipped from France, from Missouri to Salt Lake.

* In 1852 he also became a counselor to Bishop Hoagland of the 14th ward. He held this position for 8 years.

*From 1854-1858, Joseph was superintendent of tithing labor and team work on the temple block. He was also elected to the city council during this time.

*In 1861-62 Joseph was placed in charge of a company of men and teams to go back to Missouri for emigrants. During these various trips he brought 1200 persons to the Valley.

* In 1888, at age 76 he built a comfortable home for his family at 146-3rd Avenue Salt Lake City which they occupied for the remaining 9 years of his life.

Makes me tired to just list his accomplishments. He was truly one of the stalwarts in the community who served others almost constantly. Maybe we could look around a little more thoughtfully about what we could do to improve the situations we live in. The times are definitely different but the need for hard work and selflessness are still abundant.

What Do You Think About This?

"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it."
~~~~~ Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931 - 2005 ~~~~~