In my frequent Bunny Watson mode to find connection between disparate ideas this came to mind when I found out that Bed Bath & Beyond is seeking bankruptcy protection in the US and is closing all its Canadian stores.

In Spanish we have the Three Bs which are Bueno Bonito y Barato or Good Pretty and Cheap.

Between those Three Bs and the closing of Bed Bath & Beyond I could not avoid thinking about my Rosemary.

In our 52 year marriage we rarely shopped without being together. In one of those “why me or why her?” moments I think of all those stores we loved to shop together like Woodward’s, Eaton’s (both gone) and Bay (just about to).

Rosemary had a fondness for towels, sheets, bedspreads, pillow cases and kitchen dish towels. We liked going to the Bay for these. I may have enough of our purchases of those items left to take me to my eventual oblivion which statistically should be soon.

But I keep thinking, selfishly, why would Bed Bath & Beyond be closing when Rosemary and I enjoyed going there? Is this fair to her memory?

In the scan here is a wonderful 5 year-old tablecloth we bought there. It washes easily (it is also stain repellent) it dries quickly and never needs ironing.

But we gave up trying to keep Niño off our dining room table and its red tablecloth. The item accompanying the tablecloth was one of Rosemary’s fave purchases at Bed Bath & Beyond. We used it to remove Niño’s hair. 

In my last trip to Bed Bath & Beyond a month ago I purchased a blue version of the red tablecloth and a nice ochre bath mat to replace an old one that Rosemary liked that was beyond repair.

Slowly (and perhaps not so) all those places in our city that bring me memories of Rosemary are disappearing and it saddens me.

Like many of my fading friendships these are friends, too.