The magical world of fields and rivers

Have you ever tried to outlast a heron? Marvelled at the ability of a squirrels nest to survive a harsh winter? Let tent caterpillars devour an entire tree because you are amazed that they actually can? Or laughed for two years as you witnessed the battle between beaver and man? (One thinks a den is rather important, the other thinks road safety should come first. They are both right.)

If any of these small wonders of nature fascinate you, as they do me, then you will truly appreciate the simple pleasure of reading The Field by the River by Ken Burnett.

Perhaps you are dragging yourself into work, commuting on a sticky humid subway (tube) ride everyday? Are wondering if you will ever feel the sunshine on your face again in the middle of this long cold winter? Counting the days to the first long weekend in spring? Then you absolutely must read this book – immediately!

The Field by the River will remind you of the simpler pleasures in life – like taking time to walk the dogs. You will be transported through words to join Ken, Marie and their three dogs on their daily walks in rural France. You will learn more about mushrooms than anyone needs to know really, except perhaps which ones fairies are most attracted too – oh and the ones that will kill you - that is useful learning.

This book is a delight that will make you laugh, cry and smile at the same time. A work of art best enjoyed out loud. Make your family slow down and listen - share the beauty and wonders of Kerkelven with them.


A side of Ken Burnett that many fundraisers don’t know is shared within the pages of “Field”. Did you know he studies the antics of ants? Just sits still sometimes to think? Uses a whip to force his wife Marie to move lawn furniture! (Let’s hope the last one was a bit of an exaggeration!)

The Field by the River is about pleasure, taking time to just “be” in the beauty and wonder of our natural world and cherishing those who share it with us. A lesson for all fundraisers actually...more on that in another post.

Give yourself the gift of respite from your daily toil and buy this book today. Actually buy two because you will want to give one as a gift and keep yours forever.

Thank you for spending time here.

How will you stay up to date?

I am currently wrestling with our 2009 operating budget and we are faced with some difficult choices. One of them will be what to do about the "professional development" line.

Ongoing education is absolutely essential in this business. Our worlds are changing quickly and to stay competitive we need to keep up to date. This brings us to number three in my post about what I learned in 2008 Yes it is true that attending IFC (do I need to link there again....oh okay) opened my eyes to a new world of learning. The very sad reality is that I don't think our budget can support my going again in 2009. I now have to think creatively about how we can get the training we need for less money. Jonathon Grapsas blogged about this concern just last week. My response to Jonathon is that those providing education have no choice but to innovate. Nothing can replace personal interactions at conferences it is true. However, sacrificing drinks at the bar with famous fundraising gurus, doesn't mean that we need to sacrifice staying up to date. Two great examples of this are:

1. The online Affinity Resources webinar The three of us, for one low registration fee, hunkered in my office, had lunch and listened to Bernard Ross and Richard McPherson share wisdom, knowledge, inspiration and even debate a little bit about the pros and cons of online versus face to face donor relationships.

After the seminar we finished our lunch, talked about what we learned and how to apply it, then went back to work. (I'd like to know how many people did the same thing around the world so if you are from Affinity and know please post a comment.)

2. An amazing new online international conference! The Resource Alliance breaks new ground once again. Check out their global connections newsletter which talks about this first ever online International Conference. Of course the theme is digital media for this year but I expect like everything else they do the Resource Alliance will continue to expand this great new idea.

Of course nothing can replace the face to face, business card exchanging, back and forth conference experience. Which is why you should all plan on attending this great seminar.

Ongoing education is more important than ever. How will you make sure you stay up to date and in budget in 2009?

Thank you for spending time here.