No trip to visit the Flindts in Seattle is complete without Educational Adventures and without watching all the kids perform at Church. Over the February 5 weekend, Gretta found plenty of both. The Educational Adventures were an ethnic mix. We ate supper Friday night at the local Mexican restaurant in Sammamish and then explored the International District (Chinatown and Japantown) on Saturday.
The chef liked us and, after fixing our burritos and fajitas and enchiladas, he sent out a gratis dessert--tortilla chips dribbled with honey and cinnamon and topped with cream.
After a good card game and a good book, we went to bed.
On Saturday morning we visited the tooth fairy at the dental clinic at Lake Washington Technical College, where Bryce, Kirsten, and Grant got sealants on their teeth. The tooth fairy showed a stuffed molar, with little yellow bacteria stitched to it, which, she explained, exuded "poop" that caused cavities.
Bryce and Alyssa listened in awe.
We thanked the ladies who made the tooth sealants and the tooth fairy possible...and free!
Then it was off to Chinatown (more properly, the International District), with Alyssa keeping her doll close at hand.
There were many enticing store windows...
as we walked smartly along.
We loved the Wing Luke Asian Museum...
with its marionettes...
and an exhibit on "Yellow Terror," documenting discriminatory images of Asians.
We loved lunch at the Tang Tau Restaurant--sizzling rice soup, beef noodles, fried rice, chicken cashew, and beef curry with lots of fortune cookies for dessert.
And we loved a walking tour of the International District, with our pretty Chinese-American guide.
We paused to locate the headquarters of Chinese "family associations," like those of the Wongs and Lees, high in apartment buildings.
We watched the Chinese girls' drill team practice for their Chinese New Year parades, where they'll be dressed in satin robes with elaborate headdresses. They were accompanied by a huge drum and cymbals.
We explored alleys with little shops which had been there for 100 years.
We visited a fortune cookie factory...
that also sold rejects.
We even found our "dog of the day," with one blue eye and one brown eye, caged within a car and photographed through the window.
We headed into the Japantown area and posed by the iconic stone lantern...
and in the community garden.
And we stopped at the Panama Hotel...
where Japanese who were interned during WWII left behind their belongings. The Panama Hotel is the scene of the best-selling novel, "Street of Bitter and Sweet."
And, finally, we waded through Umajimaya market, which displayed thousands of Asian items, from sushi to noodle bowls to bright red envelopes for holding gifts of money for Chinese New Year.
Spencer shot photos of the lake as we rode home.
Kyle and Lisa had a party Saturday night, so Grandma and the kids went to the movies...
"Sherlock Holmes" for Michael, Spencer, and Grant...
"Tooth Fairy" for Grandma, Kirsten, Alyssa, and Bryce. The little guys read books and made new friends at Barnes & Noble until the big guys' movie was done...
and then we had ice cream and "mix-ins" at Cold Stone Creamery.
During the Valentines Day weekend, February 12-14, we basked in the love and happiness around us. The stores were full of roses and stuffed animals with hearts on them.
They even had "alternative" messages for those not comfortable with the "warm and fuzzy" ones.
Herb and JoDee Flindt's front yard sported new Valentines Day blow-ups.
Dad sent a colorful bouquet and a sweet note for my desk.
During the weekend, we also fixed dinner for Michael and the missionaries. We always enjoy sharing the excitement and commitment of the young men and women preaching the gospel in our neighborhood. We invited these young men to our "Olympics" ward party next week, where they can share their experiences playing high school football and participating in the decathlon events.
And we welcomed home our friends, Spencer and Jane Jones, who have been presiding over the Nigeria Lagos misson.
The Joneses talked about the dilemmas of preaching the gospel in a land of both great belief and great corruption, and in a culture in which the natives preferred their church services accompanied by dancing and drums. The Joneses showed a slide show with some of that vibrant African dancing. 
Sometimes the best part of the weekend is just crashing on the couch.
