of late i have found it difficult to keep up with reading the blogs i follow and even more so to write my own blog. my work has been very filling during the day and at night i feel as if i only want to spend time with L & N. this is not to say i am giving this practice up. i find myself in need of a place to write, even though i have an audience of like 2.3 readers.

the feeling of being out of time and pressed in all sides that accompanies the "full" times of our lives can on occasion feel as though you are under attack, or at war with your own life. fighting for any measure of accomplishment or completion or recognition. presently this describes me. i do not feel like i am losing a battle, just at war. rambling...

i actually had more of a point when i began this entry. reading the other morning i ran across the term "nom de guerre". for you that aren't up on your french, that's "name of war". in essence the nom de guerre is used in the same manner as a "nom de plume", in the role of a pseudonym. i like the impact of the word though. much of creation is the act of struggle or internalized war, whether you are a writer, an artist or a performer.

wikipedia notes:

The origin of “nom de guerre”

The assigning and adopting of noms de guerre was a long standing tradition in the French army; it certainly existed before 1651. In 1716 the practice became more formalised and the French army required all regular soldiers to have a nom de guerre. The names could be arrived at through the choice of the soldier, or perhaps the soldier’s company captain. Some of the naming practices adopted by particular companies enabled the men to be identifiable as members of their companies, much like a serial number: Practices such as assigning men the names of vegetables (the Company of Casaux of the Régiment de Boulonnois-infantrie, between 1764 to 1768) existed.

These names would be retained by the soldiers when they left service and would often be passed on to their wives and children. As a result, it is important to understand the old French practice of assigning noms de guerre when tracing French family histories.