“After 30 years, it came to me.” That is how Sally Houtchens describes the surprising event that befell her recently.
“I went to the grocery store and got some change,” she said. “I didn’t really pay much attention, but later I was getting some change for the renter and I saw it.” What she saw was writing on one of the dollar bills she received at the grocery. Scrawled across the bill was the name “Skeets” along with the letters “PSM” and “RO.” The date 12/24/86 was also written in the same red marker. “Skeets” was the nickname used by her long-departed husband, explained Houtchens.
It was definitely his handwriting, she said, adding that the “PSM” stood for Portland Saturday Market. She said her husband, who sold fire starters, would hand out dollar bills after demonstrating how well the fire starter worked by burning a hole in the bill. Sure enough, two holes were burned into the bill. Professing amazement that the bill wound up in her hands after all these years, Houtchens said, “Isn’t that something?” “After 30 years, it came to me,” she said.
