They tell me I used to patch our boys’ boxer shorts. I hardly remember doing that, but I do know that I’m thrifty.

One time, I made the boys some boxers out of quilting fabric, some of which was pretreated to glow in the dark. When I was awakened by a son having a nightmare, for instance, and coming into our dark bedroom, it soon became myself who was frightened (then laughing) by this moving blob of light bouncing into the room.

When boxers were a forgotten item on a recent roadtrip, we had to stop at WalMart for Hanes, or Fruit of the Looms, necessary basics for sure.

I used to make doll clothes, and Ken was not left out!

On 55th and Jackson St, site of our first Omaha home, the sidewalks were so bad that the city summoned us to repair them, or have the city do it (for a very high price). You can guess that Dan and a couple of neighbors banded together to do the job on a sultry summer’s day. Sweat ensued with dripping results. Sitting around our porch afterwards, with cold drinks in hand, admiring the work, everyone was happy.

Liz thought that Tony should go take a shower and then come back for a cold drink, but, no, he came as he was, with “something” dragging below his summer shorts. Liz was teasing him about it, and I said, “Well, what do you expect from boxer shorts?” , to which Tony and Liz both hooted and howled with, “Those aren’t boxers!”. Oh boy! We all laughed.

When Conor, now 41, was 13, I made a Joe Boxer quilt, ostensibly for him as a birthday gift, but mostly for me, because I got a kick out of the novelty prints.

This quilt was on exhibit in the Omaha Quilt Show, and won honorable mention. It was hand quilted by me in our living room, on a portable frame that I checked out from the Quilt Guild. I own this quilt and nap under it on summer afternoons every chance I get.

The brand “Joe Boxer” also designed flannel fabrics. In January, 1995, at our annual small group (The Comfortmakers) quilters’ retreat at Mahoney State Park, I started to make boxer shorts for the men in my family as Christmas gifts. I told myself that I would make one a month, and that is how I would get them done by Christmas. I only needed 6, so I had room to fudge on that goal.

The guys were good sports and seemed to like their gifts.

I’ve sure enjoyed my life with boxer shorts!

Shirley