My paternal grandfather worked the first trick at a railroad tower; his responsibilities included telegraphing messages in Morse Code, getting those messages to passing trains, and switching the tracks at the tower junction. It was a perfect job for a part-time farmer and a one-armed man.

As a tweenager, his shotgun accidentally discharged and blew off his left arm. Due to the rudimentary, emergency services then, the surgeon lopped off the remaining stump right at his shoulder. Thus, his prosthesis was nothing more than a non-utile appliance that filled his shirt sleeve. In time, he adapted and developed a very strong right arm capable of throwing heavy levers to switch railroad tracks, tossing hay bales into the barn loft, and carrying two bushels of apples in from the orchard.

My grandpa memories this week were driven by the current craze and madness of the Stanley cup. No, I’m not talking about hockey, but the container invented in 1913. A vacuum flask that was in every working man’s metal lunch box. Grandpa’s was olive green and always filled with hot coffee. It was a luxury convenience, not a designer status symbol.

Through my research, I learned early Stanleys were used to transport human organs for medical purposes and to carry bull semen to cattle ranchers. (TMI?) One hundred and six years ago after its invention, an aggressive marketing strategy created the Stanley Quencher. Sales soared 275% in one year! The drab olive green was replaced with vibrant colors, and the thermos canister was outfitted with a straw, a handle, and other options. New models were made each holiday, like the exclusive, pink Valentine Stanley, which wreaked havoc this week among battling Target shoppers.

But this old gal just isn’t into designer drink bottles, regardless of their color. A brown beer bottle is just fine!