By Page H. Gifford
Correspondent
Where were you born?
Iceland
How many siblings do you have?
I’m the oldest of four kids, a brother and two sisters. One of my sisters, Rebekah, used to work at Cuppa Joe’s with me. She’s getting her Master’s in education and my brother and younger sister are working on a farm in Missouri.
How long have you been at Cuppa Joe’s as a barista and manager?
Ten years. I started when I was fifteen and I just turned 26.
What do you like about working at Cuppa Joe’s?
I love to see all the people. Talking to everyone every day; they are my friends.
What is the rubber duck collection all about? They are everywhere and all of them different.
It started as a joke one Christmas. My brother and I had a habit of over-wrapping Christmas gifts so he wrapped 100 rubber ducks and gave them to me for Christmas. So, I brought a few into the shop and put them around, lined the dashboard in my car with them and celebrated Rubber Duck Day by giving away miniature rubber ducks with coffee. It got around that “Hannah liked collecting rubber ducks,” and everyone kept bringing them in and giving them to me. I have ducks of every kind, season and holidays. I also wear duck earrings and a duck T-shirt and have a duck inner-tube for floating on the river. I have about 400 ducks.
What is your favorite duck?
The train conductor but I also like Elvis and the octopus, but I have seven octopus ducks.
How long have you been a bartender at Dogwood, now Wahoo Barbecue?
Five years.
Did any ducks follow you over there?
There are 12 hiding over there.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Knitting, doodling, I began playing the piano during COVID, and doing jigsaw puzzles, and I love hiking but wish I had more time.
Any pets?
Three guinea pigs and a dog.
If you were stranded on a dessert island, which three celebrities would you choose to be on the island with you?
I love everyone, I can’t choose. I’d rather be alone than choose.
Name three of your favorite books and why?
Scott Peck’s “The Road Less Traveled,” because he talks about humanity as a whole. Any of Jules Verne, he is fun, imaginative, and very descriptive. Another fun one is “The Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.”
Which historical figures would you like to have dinner with and why?
Neil Armstrong would be cool to talk to and Albert Einstein is awesome. I want to talk to people who were the first to experience something like landing on the moon.
What is you dream vacation?
I want to go everywhere and experience everything.
Do you think your generation has it easier than past generations and why?
I don’t think we have it easier or harder than any other generation. We all create our own issues, battles, and obstacles to overcome.
What have you learned from the pandemic? And has it changed you in any way?
I’ve learned everyone needs help.
What is your favorite thing to do to unwind from a stressful day?
Doodle
