File photos

Since she retired from the DeKalb County district attorney's office, clowning around is what Mickie Ferrante has done. You might spot her at various Relay for Life events, in nursing homes, on charity walks or in hospitals.

"There were a lot of funny women in my family," Ferrante said. "For me, a clown is who I am. I have the heart of a clown."

Last month, at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Decatur, Ferrante was decked out as Zizi the Care Clown, with two-tone shoes, a white wig, a pink nose and hospital scrubs made into bloomers and a top. She also wore jingling bracelets that signaled her approach from far away.

She was part of a line-dancing group from Snellville's Emory Eastside Medical Center, who came to entertain residents of the VA nursing home.