Michelle Renee Speaks

If there's one thing I've learned since I've moved to Northern MN,  it's that the term "cold" is a matter of perspective. The whole past week here has been so cold that I've decided to dub it  "evil cold." It's been so cold that: The snow crunches and squeaks so loudly under my boots  that it's like nails on a chalkboard. No lie. It's not music to my ears. When I walk outside, the hairs in my nose completely freeze. Trying to get my car doors open is like a game of tug-of-war... only I don't win unless I brutally beat the door frame first. Walking from my office to my car, I have a coughing fit due to the wind  flooding my innocent lungs with "evil cold" air. Accuweather calls it "chilly." I bet no one from accuweather actually lives here. I look out at the thermometer outside my kitchen window in the morning. Instead of the temperature, it says "minus, you d...

If you know me, you know that in my life I've lived in a variety of environments- especially since I've been a professional.  I've gone from living the urban life, to a suburban life and recently a rural life.  Very rural.  Very very rural. I've learned a lot about myself in this process, but in the past 2.5 years of living in rural Northwestern Minnesota, I've also learned some new words, more than I ever wanted to know about farm animals and other things I may have never learned in the city.   This will be the first installment of "things I never knew."  So grab your favorite latte, sit back and enjoy.  Who knows...you may just learn something too. oh fer is a phrase that can occur before a variety of words. I had never heard of this incredibly flexible two word phraseology before. In order to use it correctly however, you have to have the inflection of voice in just the right places.  For example: "Look at that puppy...  oh fer ...