In 1969, my grandmother Yiayia - the ever evolving and positively progressive Penelope Conomos - planned to embrace a welcome change. After so many years toiling in Greek fields and at American food processing plants, Yiayia prepared to step away from the conveyer belt for good. With her daughters happily settled in their own homes nearby, the former peasant girl - who'd never known a day of rest in her entire life - was ready to retire.
And even better - she was prepared to welcome son Tasso back into the Bay Area family fold. After years of pursing his studies at the University of Washington, Tasso would finally return. Having earned a masters in Geology and his doctorate in Oceanography, the newly married Tasso would begin his career at the US Geological Survey in Menlo Park - - just 20 minutes away from Yiayia's little pink home withe the red door. Yes, John and Janice planned to move to the Bay Area post haste.. and they would arrive with happy news to share. The ever evolving, always enduring, and indelibly feisty Penelope Conomos was about to become a grandmother once again.
And so while Tasso conducted research on the San Francisco Bay in his ship "The Polaris" ~ Yiayia helped Janice settle into California living. And then nine months later, the family welcomed a beautiful baby girl, respectfully named Penelope. With her big brown eyes, little Penny was so beautiful ~ that according to family legend ~ the nurses at Stanford Hospital fought over who got to hold her.
A then few years later, that beautiful cycle of life reaffirmed itself with the arrival of another baby. This time ~ the first and ultimately only grandson in the family. And in another great gesture of love, the proud parents named him after my Papou. The birth of baby John marked another bittersweet, full circle moment for the one time village girl turned retiree.
It seemed that after so many years of having to adapt and to endure ~ the Conomos family circle was now complete. But as Yiayia would soon learn ~ God had other plans. He was about to bestow an unexpected blessing: a final granddaughter for the ever enduring, indelibly feisty, always evolving Penelope Conomos.