Patricia Bradley and Patricia Johns: The Princess and the Pea

In the story of the Princess and the Pea, a princess is put through a test to see if she truly is as royal as she says. If she’s truly a princess, then she’ll feel a pea underneath a pile of a hundred mattresses, because only a true princess would be so sensitive.

We all have silly little things that annoy us, but today we wanted to challenge all of you to prove your royalty! What are your little annoyances—the stuff that drives you crazy, even though you know deep down that it’s not really a big deal?

We’ll start!

--dirty dishes in the sink in the morning after my family has assured me they’ll take care of cleaning up the kitchen. I should be grateful for their efforts regardless. I’m not. ;) All I want is an empty sink I didn’t have to empty myself!
--mosquitoes
--in church, when people pray aloud with music playing in the background for ambiance. I don’t know why that drives me up the wall, but it really does!



--when people don’t finish something they start. 
--people looking at their phones at a traffic light after it turns green. 
--McDonalds leaving the lime out of my salad. 
--when an author kills off a character I’ve come to care about…




What about the rest of you? What little annoyance do you have, the single pea beneath your pile of mattresses? 

Life could be a whole lot worse, couldn’t it? If this is as bad as it gets, we’re going to be just fine! Besides, being sensitive to the little things isn’t limited to annoyances. There are tiny but beautiful things to notice, too!

Like dragonflies, drops of dew, the scent of flowers in the air during the summer, the aroma of coffee in the morning, a fully charged cell phone, a brand new book just waiting to be read… There are so many tiny pleasures that we probably don’t stop to notice!

So let’s not forget the tiny, lovely, ordinary parts of our lives. And we don’t have to be royalty to enjoy them. 

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Don't forget--Patricia Johns has a book out this month, and we hope you'll pick up a copy! 

9781335510747


He’s in over his head…
And calling for backup!
Police officer Mike McMann is always cool under pressure, but taking custody of his infant nephew has left him in a cold sweat. Coming to his rescue is social worker Paige Stedler. Paige gives him a crash course on parenting—and a tempting glimpse into a life beyond the badge. But is Mike ready to trade in his SWAT team aspirations for a white picket fence?


Comments

  1. A great post! My annoyances: 1. the word "quipped." I don't think anyone uses it right, so why use it at all? 2. Dishwater left in the sink to get cold. Yuck. 3. Meanness. (Okay, I know that's a big pea, but...) My happy things: 1. Deer in the yard. 2. Grandkids anywhere. 3. Writing with friends.

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  2. Annoyances: phone calls on my cell without a name and a number I don't quickly recognize. Scam callers, and people who honk if they think you don't merge into traffic like they think you should. Happy things: Roses, sunshine and waterfalls.

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  3. I recognize some of my own pet peeves listed above from all of,you......shoes left lying in the middle of an entry way; drivers on cell phones; empty glasses lying around....on the bright side, beautiful sunsets, playing with my granddaughter, flowers in a garden.

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  4. I can identify with all of the above, especially dishes left in the sink and shoes in the entryway. I also have a pea about hair left in the bathroom sink, a milk carton (juice, water, etc) left in the fridge with only a spoonful of liquid in it, the expression irregardless (which is not a word), people who take up two parking spaces. On the likes side, I love being moved my a song (usually a love song), finding something I didn't know I lost (money is always good), bright sunny days, the smell of fresh-cut grass, all the wonderful scents that come from the kitchen.

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    1. I just love the smell of freshly cut grass!

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  5. When someone puts a kitchen utensil in the wrong drawer (I should be glad they're helping, but...). Empty toilet paper rolls. When I say, "Just let me finish this sentence," and then they feel that means I'm free to listen for twenty minutes (after all, I was obviously writing, why is their thing more important?) Good things: a cup of tea or glass of iced tea, the way the sun bounces off the bevel of the mirror and creates a rainbow, the sound of my dog's tail thumping against the couch when she sees me, the feel of freshly washed sheets.

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    1. A rainbow off the bevel of a mirror... it always feels like a little miracle. :)

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  6. People who are late when they set the meeting time, cell phone talking drivers who are more erratic than those who get behind the wheel after imbibing. My bliss items a husband who vacuums, dinner in the crock pot when you'd forgotten you already set it up!

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    1. A vacuuming husband! That's a wonderful thing!

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  7. I always had problems with the Princess and the Pea story too. How elitist can you get? Lately, a really annoying problem is the new neighbor and /or his guests who send their ill-tempered dog to do his business on our lawn.

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    1. Unwanted dog business... People should scoop! I hear you. :)

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