Small Miracles happen in post offices

In March of this year, I did a trade with a Sylvanian-forum friend of mine, for a family and item that I have wanted for a very long time...

As is usually my case whenever luck is involved, the trade went smoothly up to the point where the parcel had to cross the big blue ocean to reach me here in my little kingdom in South Africa. Now, we are definitely not known for our effective postal service, but very few things actually ever really go missing if you keep a good eye out. Sure the post office has "misplaced" some of my parcels before, some were re-numbered and stored in the back for "safekeeping" (conveniently forgetting to notify me of their arrival at the same time) and some have even been opened and relieved of some of the contents somewhere along the line, but these tings aside, our post office delivers most of the time. They are so efficient that they even deliver your outgoing parcels back to you sometimes! ~ Yip, this has really happened before... ~

So, with the spotty track record that is the SA postal service, I was starting to feel a bit anxious when my parcel from March was still nowhere to be found two months later... With a bit of positive thinking and a lot of patience, the parcel still was still not here after three months and I was starting to lose hope that it would ever reach me.

I had nightmares about my poor Sylvanian Families being lost at sea, thrown into the sea during a huge storm and washing out on some remote island, never to see a friendly smile again! ~ Yes, this is the kind of thing that I think of when I can't sleep at night. ~

Of course the feeling of utter helplessness set in and I started to silently mourn the passing of my dearly beloved Sylvanian Families from so very far away.

But, luck was on my side and my mother surprised me with an unexpected parcel! She had found the collection slip in our postbox and decided to collect the parcel for me. It was BIG, and it seemed to consist of a recycled box (YAY for recycling - So glad to see that I am not the only one who uses boxes until they crumple away and die from old age!), a black bag, copious amounts of packaging tape, brown paper - lots and lots of brown paper and Waaay too much SA Post Office inspection tape, adding to this parcel's curiosity!

I was warned beforehand that the parcel had "ridiculous packaging", but it seems that somewhere along the line, the box was opened and re-packaged with brown paper and SAPO inspection tape. Cutting through the packaging to finally get to the box and the contents inside, was very much like excavating an age old archaeological site... Glorious!

Leatherman in hand, I worked the packaging tape away slow and steadily, ever mindful of wayward spiders and other creepy-crawlies that might have hitched a ride into my home... And inside, I found: HAPPINESS!!!!!

I am now the proud owner of a brand new Sylvanian Families Ambulance! The Pettyfur Guinea pig family have safely made their way to Rooibosch Hill and I have received a very big surprise with my parcel. ~No, not a spider of any kind!~

Peter and Belinda Brighteyes and doctor Murdoch were waiting for me inside the parcel, sitting quietly in the corner while I did my happy dance and cooed over the ambulance and the Pettyfurs. It was a weekend of family reunions and lots of playing and posing little flocked figures. Isn't it great how such small little things can sometimes take your mind off of the troubles of real life and let you feel so refreshed and ready to tackle the world again afterwards?

Thank you SO MUCH for the lovely surprises, Nicky! You are awesome and you made my day after such a rough week!!! 

Thomas Nightingale driving Rooibosch's new ambulance!

The side panel opens to reveal the inside of the ambulance. This set has LOTS of little medical accessories, including a drip, oxygen mask and many tiny little medicine bottles and boxes.

Thomas is very pleased with his new wheels! I just love the little bell so much. 

The number plate on this ambulance is Rescue, with a 3 substituting the "E" - Very fitting!

The doors open and hitch so that they don't keep closing when you play. There is also a ramp that slides out, allowing the gurney to be pushed into the ambulance.

Inside the ambulance is a fold-down seat for a paramedic to ride with the injured critter.

The gurney is big enough to accommodate an adult sized critter and the blanket folds over to cover them pretty well without being in the way of the wheels. Inside the ambulance, you can see drawers and sliding doors that provide ample storage space for all the little bits and pieces.