The Rainbow Connection
Written by Kate Taylor
Sitting in The Rainbow Café, on the back porch at Hannah’s place, enjoying a milkshake, it would almost be easy to forget that there is a global pandemic.
Like the rest of the state, Hannah is under some form of COVID-19 restrictions. But she’s in her very own beautiful wonderland!
Hannah lives in Bairnsdale and during lockdown, she missed going to cafés. So she, along with a couple of the other residents, got busy making the on-site café.
“I painted terracotta pots with rainbow colours,” Hannah explained when proudly talking about her café decorations. “We planted pansies and they’re so beautiful. We have afternoon tea out on the back porch and we made big cardboard cut-out flowers and painted them too.”
Hannah loves waitressing at the café and her specialty is bringing out milkshakes to her customers.
It’s not the only beautiful area she has created during lockdown, either.
“I made a fairy garden! We cut out some fairies and laminated them and we made trees and it has toadstools that light up.”
“It’s in my bedroom and I can see it all the time, I love it!”
Lately, Hannah’s also joined Melba’s self-advocates group, ARROW, and she enjoyed her first meeting.
“I love it! I got to say what I want.”
Hannah has also been loving talking to her dad and her brother on video calls on the iPad. She’s learned how to do it herself.
While Hannah has been missing her friends in the day program, which is due to start back up again next month, it’s hard to believe she’s going to be able to fit it in. She’s been making papier mâché art. One day she dressed up as Cinderella. She’s been going for walks and she’s been singing. Hannah loves to sing and does it beautifully.
“A veranda out the front, and an old… rocking… chair!” she sang. “That’s my favourite song.”