The Best for Last

By Pat Morrell-Donnelly

Pat’s “The Best For Last” book begins with fiction, then memoir, about a portion of her life, and ends with fiction. Pat began writing this book many years ago. As her life progressed so did the book.

It starts with the main character happy and thankful for her new life with the man of her dreams. Then, she thinks back about her childhood, her marriage, divorce, and living with abuse.

For many years Pat experienced terrible verbal and emotional abuse. She wrote the book to expose the effects of this abuse. Her desire is to help any person going through anything like what she experienced, “Get help or get out.” Pat’s advice is “do not waste valuable youth and years in such a hurtful, harmful, situation.”

For Pat, her journey saw her born into poverty. Raised during the 1930’s depression. Ambitious at a young age. Working various jobs. A difficult life in a broken down trailer in Anchorage, Alaska. Much time spent in the “School of Hard Knocks.”

She had success in real estate, and investing, only to lose it all. The devastating loss of the home she designed and had built, plus all the rental properties. All because of her wrong choices and wrong decisions. For those Pat paid dearly.
The book reveals years and years of unhappiness. There were many stormy, hurtful years.

Pat’s poems are scattered throughout the book. Poems taken from some seventeen hundred poems Pat has written over the years.
In both the fiction ending, and the real life ending, Pat finally ended up with a man who truly loved her. He often told her she was the “love of his life.” She would find love and contentment and a happy marriage at last. God is good. God is so good.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Dec 22, 2021
• ISBN: 9781665545709

Pat Morrell-Donnelly

Pat Morrell-Donnelly was born in Texas and raised during the 1930’s depression era. Her family had little in the way of material things. There was no indoor plumbing, running water or electricity. The toilet (out-house) was out behind the back of the house. There was no telephone in the home. Pat’s family was very close. Pat, her parents, and three siblings spent much time with her paternal grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. In 1943 Pat’s family moved to California. Pat was fourteen. She immediately found a job at a cake and cookie factory working four hours a day, attending school four hours a day. During the war, World War II, most anyone could find a job. After graduating High School at age sixteen Pat was able to work full time. There was no money for college. In those days people understood if they wanted something monetarily in life you went out and worked for it. There was no welfare and no give away programs. No “free lunch.” After working various jobs such as office work, modeling in San Francisco, Oakland and Los Angeles, Pat worked fifty one years in the real estate profession in the Bay Area of Northern California. She received her Brokers’s license in 1964, and opened her brokerage office in1965. Pat holds the unique distinction of being the only member of S.A.C.B.O.R, her real estate board, to be honored “Miss Realtor” in a contest in 1960. Pat has had articles and poems published in the RealToro Magazine, SACAR Realtor Guide, SACBOR TODAY, all real estate publications. Starting with nothing but hard work, some knowledge, and “OPM” (It’s called other people’s money) borrowing on one property to purchase another Pat was able to acquire twenty eight rental units. In the nineteen nineties, because of the real estate down turn in California, she lost it all. She got “upside down” in her properties owing more than they were worth. At that point in Pat’s life it was too late to make it all over again. Pat published eight books in fourteen years. Her first book, “The Climb Up Life’s Mountain” was published when Pat was eighty years of age in 2009. Then the following seven books published in sequence. “Poems For Conservatives,” “My Journey As A Realtor,” “Honoring,” “Poetry Breathes Life Into Bible Characters.” “Poems And Stories About Cats and Dogs and Various Critters,” “The Best For Last,” and “Poems For Conservatives.” Volume 2. Her ninth book, “All About Love” poems. Pat writes Personalized Poetry about people’s lives. She has written over 1800 poems. Patriotic, political, religious, motivational, inspirational. Over forty five of Pat’s poems have been read at memorial and funeral services and used in church bulletins. Pat has had thank you responses to her poems from Queen of England, four U.S. Presidents, two First Ladies, and other dignitaries. Pat has written poems for and about a Governor, a U. S. Senator, four U. S. Congressmen and two Georgia Representatives. Also, for businesses and restaurant chains. Pat was baptized at age eleven and is a member of the Church of Christ.

Book preview

© 2021 Pat Morrell-Donnelly. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or

transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse   12/13/2021

ISBN: 978-1-6655-4569-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-4570-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021925421

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in

this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views

expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the

views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

This book is memoir. It reflects the author’s present recollections of experiences

over time. Names have been changed to protect their identity.

Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgement

Author’s Note

The Best For Last

Thinking Back To The Past

Hurry To Be Grown-Up

Becoming Employed

Marcy’s Life

Grown Up Height-Wise But Not Mature

Marcy’s Life At Home

More Happenings

Coming Events

The Party

Back To Reality

Different Moves

Always On The Move

Three Moves

Back To The States

Resuming Life

Shocking News

Life’s Challenges

The Next Step

Decisions, Decisions

More Episodes

Back In The Bay Area

The Next Chapter

Moving On

Time Goes By

The Divorce

On With Life

Making New Plans

Another Adventure

Over The Years

Investing

Exciting Time

About This Same Time

The Next Episode

Married Life Not So Blissful

Life’s Challenges

Marcy’s Journal

The Blaming. (From Marcy’s Journal.)

And The Plot Thickens

Verbal Abuse. (More From Marcy’s Journal)

Continued In Journal

More Thoughts (From Marcy’s Journal)

Annual Christmas-Church Gathering

Continued From Marcy’s Journal

More Thoughts Stemming From Marcy’s Frustration

More Anguish

Continual Ravings

Letter To Jordan

Continued Challenges

More Rants From Marcy’s Journal

Comment

Challenging Five Months

The Next Challenge

The Memorial Service

Wondering?

Happen Chance: (The Next Chapter)

Exciting News

More Excitement Transpiring

Ron’s Exciting News

Exciting Possibilities

The Next Chapter

Dream Come True

Back To Reality

Dedication

This book is dedicated to anyone who has been, or is now, being abused verbally, emotionally, or in any manner. No one should stand for abuse of any kind. Life is too short to live in an abusive situation.

In loving memory of my Husband, Alan B. (Don) Donnelly, grateful for his love, his caring, and going along with publishing all my previous six books, and help with the pictures.

Acknowledgement

The Miss Realtor picture in the newspaper is used with the permission of the Oakland Tribune, Oakland, California including Hayward Daily Review.

Pat as Miss Realtor picture holding trophy is used with the permission of BEAR, Bay East Association of Realtors.

Thanks to Carolyn Canha for the use of some of the photographs she took.

The picture of Ron Drake has been altered to disguise his true identity.

Author’s Note

Pat was encouraged to write about her life by the Minister of her church. M. encouraged her to share her story, or at least parts of it.

M. said, Pat, your life has been like a novel. You just need to write about it. He suggested to Pat she needed to tell about things she had learned from her mistakes, and from her difficulties and challenges. From these things others could learn from the sharing of herself. He continued, Some women have gone through some of the same problems, and would relate to your struggles, the verbal and emotional abuse.

M. Pat, you have had a fantastic journey with great heartaches and disappointments, as well as joy and success. You need to share what you have learned along the way. You never know who would be blessed by reading the story of your life. You have a lot to say, and I wish you would say it.

M. also taught positive thinking classes, and in a letter from M. to Pat in 1981 he wrote the following.

Dear Pat,

Just a word early this morning to let you know that I am very proud of you for the beautiful person you are, the powerful person you are, the open and growing person you are, the positive and enthusiastic person you are, and finally for the serving person you are.

I had opportunity this morning to re-read the articles you wrote for the real estate bulletin. They are very good and so needed, especially the positive inspiration that radiates from each of them. As I read them I see the real you coming through, and was impressed with how far you have really come from how you thought and felt years ago to where you are today.

Your article on, What I Could Have Been was most interesting and inspiring. It really speaks to all of us doesn’t it? Certainly what we could have been and what we are is quite different for most all of us and how we have thought is what made the difference.

Sincerely,

M.

The Best For Last

She gazed down at his sleeping form, his head on her lap, warm against her body. Her heart was filled with joy as so many thoughts raced through her mind. In her youth their lives had touched only briefly, but being together now, after all the years, melted Marcy’s heart. Now they were joined in hand and heart. Their love like a first love for them both.

And, for whatever time they would have together be it hours, days, or years, Marcy would be eternally grateful, The Best Was Saved For Last. This great love saved for the last years of their life. For what could be more beautiful than to be able to spend and share these precious days together? Whatever amount of time they might be blessed to know would be a special gift, their lives blending together so beautifully, so perfectly.

For all the wasted years in between, for all that might have been, well, no sense dwelling on that. Sadly, you cannot go back and erase all the mistakes, wrong choices and wrong turns in life. (If we only could.)

Marcy thought about her difficult life. The cards she had been dealt. The many mistakes she had made. All the wrong choices she had made. So many, many, wrong choices.

How strange that in the beginning, in her youth, she had romantic ideas of meeting a wonderful man, falling in love, marrying, having children and living happily ever after. This had been her dream and desire since she was a small child. Such had not been the case with Marcy’s life. She had even chosen the names of children she hoped to have. She had hoped for two boys and a girl.

At a young age Marcy had been an affectionate and loving child. As years passed she had become withdrawn as life dealt her blow after blow. She had become unable, and even afraid, to show her true feelings. Now she had come full circle.

She thought about their love—strong, fulfilling and special. With each touch there was a wild excitement. Happiness swelled in her heart. Her cup was filled to overflowing. Her life had become more perfect and happier than she could ever have dreamed or imagined.

But, in truth, she had dreamed over and over it could be like this. She had seen it in her mind as if it were reality.

As she looked around at the elegance of their home they had so recently known together, feeling the love it held, her thoughts wondered back, back to her childhood. From Marcy’s humble beginnings she had dreamed of all this, when this very moment would become real.

It seemed as though she had lived her whole life for this moment—for this man—strong, loving, successful, and capable of more tenderness than even she could ever have imagined. Their love was a deep, unselfish kind of love. A love that was always thoughtful, always caring, him seemingly knowing her every need.

As in a Cinderella Story Ron had brought her here to this huge estate. It was a setting of breathtakingly beautiful landscaping. Every room looked out over a colorful garden of rhododendrons, azaleas, and a variety of flowers. All of which encircled a lush green carpet of lawn. For a moment her eyes rested on the carp pond. She watched the beautiful, colorful fish, swimming busily about.

In the rear, surrounded by outdoor furnishings of bright pink, green and white, was an inviting heart shaped swimming pool. In the background, stretching out toward a wall of trees, was the tennis court. Bordering each side of the property was a row of Oleander bushes in different shades of pink and white, all blending together in lush splendor.

In recent days they had walked hand in hand admiring the beauty surrounding their home, stopping occasionally to drink in the elegance of it all. They would pause now and then to enjoy the aroma of the flowers, stealing a kiss here and there. The fragrance of the flowers permeated the air all about them.

Recently they had enjoyed playing tennis with friends. Marcy had always loved to play tennis, but in the past had not had the time for that enjoyment since working all her life.

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Thinking Back To The Past

For Marcy, her journey had been a difficult one. Born and raised during the depression days she thought about and visualized their small, sparsely furnished home out in the country. A home she had shared with her parents, her sister and brother. Marcy was a middle child until age fourteen when her young sister was born. Marcy’s older sister was three years older than Marcy, and Marcy’s only brother was three years younger than Marcy.

Marcy thought of the cold winters when the country side was gray and dead looking. Winters, which at times were so cold they all huddled together in one little room with only a small gas heater to keep them warm. So cold a glass of water left on a night stand overnight would be solid ice the following morning.

When it snowed Marcy and her siblings would run outside, scoop up some snow, fill a dish, and run back inside. A bit of sugar and vanilla added to the snow would, for them, turn it into tasty ice cream.

Marcy remembered the bags of mixture her mother would hang on the clothes line to drain to make cottage cheese. Her mother, Mrs. Maitland, was very fair with vivid blue eyes, and thick, dark brown hair. In the spring her mother, wearing long sleeves, gloves, and a large bonnet to ward off the hot sun, would be out hoeing and weeding and planting a large vegetable garden each year.

Marcy’s father, along with his two brothers, dug water wells for a living when they could find someone that needed a well dug. That was not a real lucrative business in those days. In the past they had helped their father with farming.

Marcy’s father and uncles would kill five hogs each year. They would keep the hams and shoulders, and trade and barter the rest for food.

Each year Marcy’s mother would can jars of vegetables from her garden, and peaches from the peach trees on Marcy’s Paternal Grandparents property. Then, they would be placed in the cellar to provide vegetables and fruit for the cold winter months. The cellar also provided shelter from some of the violent Texas storms and tornadoes.

Mostly, other than ham, they had chicken, usually fried, with biscuits and country gravy. Her mother would go out into the yard, chase down a chicken and ring its neck. The chicken would go flopping all over the yard until there was no more life left in it. There was no alternative. Otherwise, it was beans and fried potatoes, served sometimes with cornbread. Her mother would do whatever needed to be done to feed her family.

For some reason her mother never taught Marcy, or her siblings, to ring the neck off the chickens. Back then Marcy never thought to question the reason.

In those days there was no running water inside the home. Nor, was there an inside bathroom or electricity. The water to make those vegetables grow had to be carried by bucket from the well.

For a bathroom there was an outhouse, a small building