Bluestein's

    In this town, there's a dry goods store called Bluestein's. Fifty years ago almost, when I was 3, my family moved from Charleston to Columbia. I actually remember a lot about the period after the move, although nothing about the move itself. (I was really 3, as in a week after my 3d birthday.) I guess we bought a pile of new towels after the move. My mom always mentioned getting them at Bluestein's and always wanted to go back there, but never did.
    This month, Bluestein's is going out of business. So I had to go buy. If I went in there for the towel raid 49 years ago, I didn't recognize anything. But it is a fascinating place. More like an army/navy store than the bed & bath place I was expecting. Or maybe a uniform store. I liked their stock, but didn't particularly need redcap trousers. But it was nice finally to visit. And I did find some towels and was embarrassed to be caught saying aloud, "There you are!" They did look somewhat like the towels of my childhood. I left them there. But the sale runs through the end of the month.