KricheleG's memory from Memories of JJ

Dad always had a sense of humor. When his back started to hurt him too much to stand up straight, he started to use an old cane we found somewhere. Sometimes he would turn it around and hold it by the crook, pointing the handle at me and making "Peeep! Peeeeeep!" sounds, like it was a baby chick. We named the cane Peep, and whenever he was looking for it, he'd say "Where's Peep?" Somehow it made the reality of the situation seem less scary and more silly.
He also loved to paint things bright colors, even if it had no business being painted. Yellow cinder blocks, turquoise and pink tires, Red blue and yellow propane tanks. You name it, he painted it loud and unapologetic colors and loved every minute of it. He loved whimsy, although I don't think he ever called it that.
He loved to name things. He had a collection of stuffed animals near his bed and every single one of them had a name - Pachyderm the elephant, Kat the cat, Frawg the Frog, Prison bear, Puff n bumps (my old) baby doll. Even our farm animals weren't safe from his naming. The neighbor girl might have called the black and white cows Salt and Pepper, but to Dad they were called Pork Chop and Stupid.
At another time we had a black beef cow that we hadn't settled on a name for. One day we were getting ready to go to the church for an activity, rushing to run out the door. Dad said we needed to feed "sweetheart" before we left. Mama thought he meant Me, and said that I had already eaten. Dad replied no, the cow, Sweetheart. That brought an exasperated laugh for sure, but she was known as Sweetheart for the rest of her days.