Happy Birthday Tia!

(photo from 1943)

Today, my Aunt Mary is celebrating her 93rd birthday.
I wish I was there, at her party celebrating with her.

When she was in her mid-to-late 60's, she decided to move just across the Arizona border, to Puerto Penasco, Mexico.
At that time, Rocky Point was small and quaint.
She made new friends,and her neighbors treated her like a member of the family.

That was before then-President Fox decided the port should be built up.
Before Puerto Penasco became a heavy tourist destination, or a gathering zone for rowdy college kids on Spring Break.

Though I still think she enjoys it.

Every year, her friends (who also happen to be a band of mariachis) throw her a fiesta.
She usually provides the food and the booze, and they provide the music.

Here's the invitation this year--a message in a hot sauce-shaped bottle

(click on photo to enlarge)

The contents included a scroll party invitation to the fiesta, sombrero-shaped confetti, and a miniature maraca


I love creative invitations like this.
I posted a tutorial about these previously.

Aunt Mary (Tia) is especially excited that the mariachis have written a song about her puppy, Brisa del mar.

When Aunt Mary turned 88, I surprised her and showed up at the party.
I took a bus from Tijuana to Rocky Point--a full eight hour ride.
The bus, however, was a Mercedes, complete with movies in English.
It was bizarre to be stopped along the road at random so the army could come on board just to check things out, machine guns in tow.
They were at the bus terminals also.
It's a different world down there.

But the party was fantastic.
Dancing, drinking, lots and lots of friends and neighbors present.
Lots of male attention :).

The next day I walked along the water, investigating seashells.
Every year she invites me back.
I do want to go again.

Aunt Mary was a teacher by profession, but she was also an artist.
She made amazing sculptures, all of her children were musicians, and her home was full of liveliness and fun.

Previous photo posts about Aunt Mary here and here.