Birthday 64

December 22 and 23

by guest blogger Helen Stillman

You know your blog life is going well when you get requests from guest bloggers.

I arrived in Mazatlán on Thursday (my mother’s birthday) and immediately requested guest blogger status, so I guess that means my mom is blog famous.

In lieu of Christmas carols and cold cuts, it became quickly apparent that my mother intended to take advantage of her Mexico birthday by creating an elaborate and unique plan of celebration for su compleaños de año 64.

She was practically giddy as I entered the boat and headed towards the fore cabin, my designated sleeping quarters. Waiting for me there was an enormous, wide-eyed, yellow piñata. My mother proudly informed me that its name was Seattle Rein!

As a women’s basketball fan, I heard this as Seattle Reign (Seattle’s women’s bball team). I laughed, confused about my mother’s sudden enthusiasm for women’s athletics. However, I was quickly informed that this was instead a joke on reindeer. Mazatlán, incidentally, means “Land of the Deer”, so it seemed fitting all around.

We were in good spirits and excited to share birthday celebrations with Margaret’s family. Unfortunately, the big celebration had to be postponed until Friday because of flight troubles on the way down from Vermont. Peter, Kate, and Forrest were in Mazatlán, while Margaret and Gardy were stuck in Houston. No matter—we had the available relatives over for a feast of grilled shrimp. (The shrimp came from the guy who drives the marina water taxi. Muy sabroso!)

I have to insert here that I have discovered that my parents’ individual strategies regarding use of the Spanish language very much mirror their strategies as human beings. My mother has worked hard to know everything and to be competent, and plows through conversations in Spanish with vendors, children, security guards, and taxi drivers, insistent on getting her point across. My father, in contrast, has mastered two charming phrases that he repeats with gusto. Phrase 1: MUY SABROSO!! Phrase 2: La cuenta, por favor. (He insists that he knows more—and adds “Besides, I have my telephone app to look up any word rather efficiently.”)

On Friday morning, my mother and I headed to the downtown city market. I prodded my mother to purchase every kind of exotic fruit we saw—particularly guavas. We also found a small candy stand, where we procured items for the piñata. I was excited about “pulparindo”, a spicy tamarind fruit leather-like product.

In the afternoon, we filled the piñata and started to tackle the next big problem: where and how to hang it. Always the rebel, my mother tended to think that we should sneak down to the beach and hang it from a palapa. Luckily, she decided to consult the La Cid hotel staff, who had a rope available, and were experienced at manning it, an excellent system for us.


With the whole family gathered, we took turns waling at Seattle Rein/Rain/Reign, starting with the youngest and going towards the oldest. You'll notice that we're all sporting tropical shirts... someone's idea of party favors. (My mother felt genuinely remorseful about taking a bat to the poor little deer and justified her actions by invoking the added pun “beating Seattle rain by coming down to Mexico”.)

I was delighted to see the hotel guys jumping in to to grab dulces along with the rest of us when the candy started raining down. Afterward, Kate and I took turns throwing candy up to the guy who had been holding the rope from the roof.

After a surprisingly delicious hotel dinner, we headed back to the boat. Margaret and Gardy had written my mom new verses to When I’m 64 during their Houston detour, which they sang. My mother was prepared with printed copies of the original version, which she passed around for all to sing.

Margy and Gardy’s lyrics:

When you get older

Sailing with ease

You’ll be having fun

You’ll invite your family

To play with you
And your Charlie
In the Mexican sun

Eating some tacos

With guacamole

Having more and more

You’ll be cruising

Winning and losing

Now you’re 64

We will have a merry merry Christmas

In the warmer climes

With our captain Susie

Which spot will she chooooooose?

And if you are good she will share her views.

We followed this with key lime pie, cocinado por mí.