Another visit to see the Silvas in Tucson, Arizona. Our stop last month was too short; matter of fact, we only had moments on the street talking with Guadalupe, who was taking her daughters Melissa and Sophia (above) to Sunday school. Arturo was home, but we would only chat with him for about an hour and a half before we had to leave, and he would join his family at church.

As with our last drive south, this one, too, included seeing a movie. Today’s flick was the Japanese film Kamikaze Girls being shown at the Loft Cinema. Arturo came with us for this subtitled, candy-colored sweety girl film, although I offered plenty of opportunities to pass on joining us. He insisted on joining and even laughed during the screening.

Kamikaze Girls follows two high school students, one a Rococo aficionado who dresses lolita style, the other a Yanki who, like a tough biker chick, tries hard to put it on while sputtering about on her tricked-out scooter. The movie is visually a punch to the senses, and the story is a nice rendition of the need to do your own thing.

Instead of driving back immediately to Phoenix after the movie, as we did in September, this evening we made reservations for dinner together, and so we drove back to Arturo’s home just before sunset. Our reservation was not until 7:30, so we talked a while before leaving.

Caroline, Sophia, and Melissa (above) played piano for a while, and Sophia also gave me a spelling lesson proving that not only could she spell echolocation, but she knew what it was – that’s one smart second grader. Melissa spent most of her time reading a new book she bought today called Inkspell by Cornelia Funke.

When we arrived earlier in the day, Arturo’s mother, who lives with the family, was busy tutoring two art students. Inez is an artist who, when not painting, takes on students to help them learn the craft. This painting of Frida Kahlo is one of a few hanging in the front room of the Silva house that Inez has painted. There are also paintings of Arturo and Arturito. One painting of a reclining woman is now dressed; hmmm, I don’t remember her wearing that shirt as the painting was being finished. Inez is also turning her attention to knitting and showed us a nice shawl she recently completed.

On to dinner, and what a long dinner it was. We had discussed eating at either La Paria Suiza, P.F. Chang’s, or The Melting Pot, then offered the deciding choice to Guadalupe, and she opted for The Melting Pot. This place is popular on the weekend as we called early in the afternoon to reserve a table at six, and the first we could book was for 7:30.

Just choosing from all the options took us nearly a half hour, but as soon as things got moving, we thoroughly enjoyed the dinner. Well, all of us except the two girls who found this a little too weird. Fortunately, we were able to keep them interested as we described the chocolate fondue dessert that was yet to be served.

For two long hours, Melissa and Sophia Silva waited with great patience for the adults to eat the yucky food before the chocolate fondue arrived. Like a bat finding its dinner with echolocation, the girls’ skills at precision chocolate dipping and finding their mouths had them looking like professional fonduers. Now energized, happy, and quickly becoming gastronomically satisfied, our three-hour stuffing at the Melting Pot in Tucson, Arizona, was over.

Here is dessert, and the long faces disappear. Our visit lasted all day with the Silvas but hasn’t yet included an overnight, although we have been invited a dozen times. This past year has seen the fewest occasions of coming together for a bite to eat or chat; this will hopefully not be the story for the coming year, as we always enjoy our visits to Tucson with the Silvas.