A New Term for an Old Struggle

Today I learned a concept that’s completely new to me: food noise.

Since I had never heard the term until today, I did a quick internet search. It seems to have first appeared around 2007 and became much more common starting around 2020.

So what is food noise? In simple terms, it’s persistent and intrusive thoughts about food. As soon as I heard the definition, I recognized it. I’ve experienced food noise many times in my life, usually during stressful moments when thinking about food and planning my next meal felt soothing.

This past week, I’ve had my daughter’s car while Joe has been at work, and on Wednesday I drove up to her house to put her garbage can away. I ended up sitting in her driveway doing the math on MyFitnessPal to see if I could fit a Culver’s deep fried shrimp basket into my day. Technically I could, but only if I ate absolutely nothing else. Even the cocktail sauce pushed me over my nutrition goal.

There’s no rule saying I have to follow my goals perfectly, because there are no bad foods. I can hear Coach Becky saying that an off day now and then is perfectly fine. I reminded myself of that as I sat in the driveway. But as I drove back to Saint Michael, I hemmed and hawed. Should I swing by Culver’s or head home and make a healthier choice that would actually move me toward my goals instead of possibly setting me back?

When I reached the traffic light at 241, I asked myself one more time: straight to Albertville or turn toward home? I chose home. I ate leftover tacos and vegetables, and the Culver’s shrimp faded from my mind.

Well, mostly. I was still thinking about shrimp when we went to Costco on Friday, so we bought the Shrimp Cocktail platter. Not deep fried, same cost as Culver’s, but far more servings. A definite win. And it satisfied the craving.

Since Wednesday, I haven’t once thought about getting in the car to hunt down food. I think the food noise has gone on hiatus. I hope it stays quiet for a while. I will always love food, and I want to believe I can learn to love it in moderation, at least enough to help me reach a healthier weight.

Maybe having a label for those moments when I’m obsessing about food will help. If I can recognize when I’m slipping into food noise, I might be able to pause, name it, and learn to turn down the volume.

Have you ever struggled with food noise? How do you cope when the thoughts won’t let up? I would appreciate any strategies or ideas.

Living the Dream, One Bag of Beans at a Time

Joe eats beans every day. Black beans, white beans, garbanzo beans, and pinto beans are his usual choice, with pintos topping the list. Beans are a solid source of healthy carbs and fiber, and two of his three meals most days include some type of bean.

Back when we lived near the Costco in Woodland, California, we could buy 20-pound bags of pinto beans, and Joe would make big batches of refried beans. Whatever we couldn’t eat in a couple of days got portioned out and frozen. Last year for Christmas, his son sent him a variety pack of heirloom beans from Rancho Gordo, and Joe loved cooking his way through all of them. And of course, any time we saw beans on sale, a few extra bags would end up in our pantry “just in case.”

Lately we’ve been on the hunt for a place to buy beans in bulk since our local Costco stores don’t carry them. We learned that some Walmart locations sell large bags, so today we headed to the Maple Grove Walmart. Joe scored a 20-pound bag of pinto beans for $14.00 and a 2-pound bag of black beans for $2.00. We felt like we’d hit the jackpot.

If you’re curious about the health benefits of beans, here’s a great link with more information:

https://www.ranchogordo.com/pages/beans-and-health

While we were already out grocery shopping, we decided to stop into an Aldi. We know plenty of people who swear by their prices and products. We had visited one during our travels last year and didn’t find what we needed, so we wanted to see if the local store was any different. As it turns out, the items we regularly buy weren’t cheaper than what we find at Costco, Cub, or Coborn’s.

When I was planning my retirement, I never pictured myself spending a day hunting for bulk beans and comparing grocery store prices for fun. But here we are. Who knew?

Night Off

Taking the night off from writing. 

Why I’m Not Sold on a 50-Year Mortgage

The 50-Year Mortgage: Exciting or Exhausting?

So tell me, are you excited about the possibility of a 50-year mortgage?

In my opinion, this won’t make housing more affordable. In fact, it could make homes far more expensive to own in the long run. There’s been no talk of a lower interest rate for a 50-year mortgage. Traditionally, the lowest rates are on 15-year loans, then slightly higher for 30-year loans.

I was curious about what it might look like for someone buying a house today with a 50-year loan compared to a 15-year or 30-year fixed mortgage.

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The Numbers

Here’s the data I started with:

Median home price: $410,800 (half of homes in the U.S. sell for more, half for less)
Fixed interest rates:

• 15-year: 5.58%–5.66%

• 30-year: 6.22%

• 50-year: 6.22% (and 6.88%)

These calculations assume no down payment and no closing costs, homeowner’s insurance, or property taxes — just the $410,800 loan amount.

Loan Type	Monthly Payment	Interest Paid Over Time	Total Paid
15-Year	$3,391.56	$199,680.51	$610,480.51
30-Year	$2,521.36	$496,885.80	$907,685.80
50-Year (6.22%)	$2,229.56	$926,918.24	$1,337,718.24
50-Year (6.88%)	$2,434.07	$1,049,649.85	$1,460,449.85

I calculated the 50-year option using the same interest rate as the 30-year loan, just for argument’s sake, since there’s been no mention of lowering the rate. (And as we know, the longer the loan, the higher the interest usually climbs). I also calculated at a rate .66 higher which the difference between a 15-year and a 30-year loan.

So what’s the actual monthly savings? A buyer could save $102.87 per month at 6.88% or $306.95 per month at 6.22%.

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The “Tipping Point”

To see how this affects equity, I looked at the tipping point, the moment when the principal portion of your payment finally exceeds the interest portion each month.

Loan Type	Tipping Point	Interest Paid to Date	Principal Balance Remaining
15-Year	Year 3, 9 mos.	$60,137.20	$357,317.52
30-Year	Year 19, 10 mos.	$402,122.40	$241,863.88
50-Year (6.22%)	Year 39, 10 mos.	$829,545.92	$213,685.43
50-Year (6.88%)	Year 40, 10 mos.	$952,147.69	$211,981.12

So yes, year 40 before the scales finally tip in your favor on a 50-year mortgage.

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My Take

What I see here is that a 50-year mortgage makes far more money for lenders.

Would it be wiser to rent (depending on local rental prices) and invest the difference in mutual funds? Maybe that sounds like a privilege question, but I personally hate paying interest and avoid it whenever I can or at least try to find the best deal possible.

I also wonder how this will affect people’s ability to “buy up” over time. Most folks I know start with a smaller home, build equity, then sell and use that equity to move up or downsize. With a 50-year loan, that process could take decades - if it happens at all.

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Expert Opinion

Since I’m not a real estate expert, I called someone who is: my friend and California real estate agent, Susan Bovey.

We chatted about my concerns, and she agreed, a 50-year mortgage isn’t a great path for people trying to build equity. Susan’s also skeptical that the idea will ever get much traction. Still, she’s hopeful that if it does, lenders and agents will be upfront about how 50-year financing really works.

She added that for buyers not focused on equity and planning to stay in a home for only five to seven years, the $100–$300 monthly savings could make sense.

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Final Thoughts

So if you’re thinking a 50-year mortgage might finally make homeownership possible for you, do your homework first.

And if you live in the Sacramento, California area and are looking to buy or sell, call Susan! (I’m happy to give you her number if you private message me.)

A Sort of Restful Day

Today has been a day of rest for me. Sort of! I still managed seventy minutes of physical activity, which is about fifty minutes more than what I was doing just five and a half weeks ago. My idea of a “day of rest” has definitely changed.

Earlier this year, a restful day meant all my cleaning was done for the week and I didn’t have to leave the house for errands. Now that we have a ten-month-old curious and busy grandson, I think of rest as the days I’m not trying to keep up with him. I don’t remember babies taking this much energy - more likely, I just had more energy when Megan was a baby. The benefit is that I love spending the time with him and keeping up with him motivates me me to improve my physical capacity.

Pan and Sylvie, our grandpuppies, did pretty well on their first night with us. Sylvie sleeps in a crate since, as a puppy, she can still find things to get into when left unattended. Pan slept with Alto (our cat) and us. Joe said Pan was on the bed, but I was so tired I didn’t even notice. Alto doesn’t like dogs, but he and Pan lived together for years before Alto became our cat. Sylvie, on the other hand, sees Alto as, in my friend Kara’s words, “a live snack.”

I had a nice virtual chat with Kara today. Catching up with friends is one of my favorite things. I was scheduled to chat with Jen and Elizabeth tomorrow, but Jen had to reschedule after her mom passed away last week. I’ve never met her mom, Joyce, but I’m grateful she brought her daughters into the world. Jen and Kim are both lovely human beings in their own right.

Later this afternoon, I drove to Megan’s house to roll her garbage can to the curb for pickup and to remove a marketing door hanger that had been setting off her Ring camera all day. When I got back home, I took the dogs out one at a time. They’re large and strong, and I’m still getting used to handling them. I worry that if my neighbor brings her small dog out while I have Sylvie, there might be some chaos. Marylee is a lovely person, but I doubt she’d forgive me if Sylvie decided her little dog looked like a snack.

While I made dinner this evening, Sylvie sat on the kitchen floor and watched me chop vegetables for a hearty vegetable beef soup. She tilted her head, watching me as though she was studying my technique. Megan would probably say Sylvie was just waiting for me to drop something for her to “clean up.”

My thoughts are a bit rambling today, but hopefully still coherent.

Have a restful evening.

Enough Politics for Today

Sylvie and Pan (Grandpuppies)

I cannot even deal with politics today. I’m aware of what’s going on, and I caught up on a few short news podcasts this evening so that will have to do for now.

From what I gathered, eight Democratic Senators voted to pass the continuing resolution (CR) so the government could reopen, with the promise that ACA government subsidies would later be voted on for extension. Of course, that still has to make its way through the House—and through Forty-Seven.

At this point, Mike Johnson has said the House will not vote on extending the subsidies. Meanwhile, Forty-Seven has declared that insurance companies are greedy (the man should know greed - he’s one of the greediest people walking the earth) and wants to give Americans money to purchase health insurance on the open market. It’s obvious to me that (1) Forty-Seven doesn’t understand health insurance, and (2) his plan might as well be “Medicare for All,” as Bernie Sanders has said.

The only bright spot in all this is that as part of the CR deal, there will be no more layoffs of government workers until the measure expires in late January 2026. Those who were laid off illegally during the shutdown will be reinstated (one less case for the courts to handle) and all furloughed workers will be paid for the time they missed. (Traditionally, that’s been the case, but Forty-Seven just wanted to be mean because he is a mean, mean, mean man.)

Oh, and one more good note: the SNAP program will be fully funded for 2026. That was part of the package the eight Democrats voted for late last night.

Still, this battle over affordable healthcare for Americans is far from over. When we reach the end of December and nothing has been resolved, we can almost guarantee another government shutdown in 2026 and Forty-Seven will likely play power-crazy again and threaten SNAP.

Okay, enough politics for today.

Our grandpups, Pan and Sylvie, are staying with us this week while Megan, Jeremy, and the kids are on vacation. I spent part of the day playing with Oliver while Megan and Jeremy finished packing. Thankfully, the drive home from dropping them off at the airport was smooth, hardly any traffic at all. Still, I’m exhausted. I may not have fully recovered from the 13½ hours of baby time yesterday!

And finally, a quick shoutout to my cousin Eleanor: I hope you’re feeling better soon! Sending lots of positive energy your way.

Good Night

Taking a night off of writing. Our family had a long day and I am opting to get in some workout time and then a shower and into bed.

Let's just say today was the first time I spent thirteen hours with a baby in a long time. Like thirty-three years long. I enjoyed spending time with our sweet 10-month old Oliver, and now I am completely exhausted. 

I hope you all had a peaceful day surrounded by loved ones.

A Blanket Kind of Day

Busy day playing Bingo with the Rockford Girl Scouts! Joe and I had a lucky streak, we won a blanket for our house and one each for Caleb and Charlotte. Jeremy won two blankets and Megan won one. They allowed each person to win twice, so by the end, Joe and Jeremy each hit the max, and Megan and I each won once.

After we’d collected six blankets (yes, six!), Megan won again and graciously gave her winning card to a woman at another table. I think that moment made me as happy as any of our wins.

We also managed to snag three drawing prizes. By the time Jeremy won, the only thing he found remotely useful was a bright pink water bottle with two pairs of pink socks stuffed inside. Charlotte, of course, was thrilled as she became the happy recipient of Jeremy’s “very pink” prize.

After Bingo, Charlotte, Caleb, Joe, and I sampled this month’s Universal Yums box, featuring snacks from Mexico. We all agreed this one wasn’t our favorite. Most of the snacks were chili-flavored, and even Joe, the least picky of us all, and a true lover of peppers and spice, rated them no higher than “meh.” Charlotte was next in line for picky, since “hot” isn’t her thing.

On our way home from Rockford, Joe and I made a quick stop at Cub for corn tortillas and a couple of ripe avocados. We ended the day with tacos and refried beans the perfect follow-up to our spicy snack adventure.

Now I’m yawning as I type, caught in that awkward zone: too tired for a nap but too early for bed. I might pour myself a small cup of coffee just to make it through the evening.

Hope your day was filled with people you love. ❤️

Tea, Talk, and a To-Go Box Trick

Good evening from brrrr… cold Minnesota!

Our first snow may be coming soon, and I’m already feeling the chill in the air.

Today we had a visit from the awesome Coach Becky. (Not that I actually call her “Coach” every time I talk with her!) It was such a nice visit. She came by to check out the NuStep machine that her sister (her Leveling Up Midlife partner) recommended for me. We drank tea, chatted for a couple of hours, and covered a lot of ground in our conversation.

Okay, stop groaning, all of you family and friends who know I always find a lot to talk about.

Yesterday and today I did 30-minute workouts on the NuStep. It went really well, and I was impressed that I started sweating just a few minutes in. I think that means I may actually be burning some fat! The best part was finishing my workout feeling (a) grateful I comfortably completed 30 minutes without collapsing in exhaustion, and (b) grateful it was done!

Tonight Joe and I decided to splurge and go out for dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, The River Inn. Apparently everyone else had the same idea as it was packed. We ended up sitting outside near a cozy fireplace. I ordered ribeye steak with garlic mashed potatoes, a green salad, and green beans and carrots as my side vegetables. Most of my meal came home with me for tomorrow’s lunch or dinner.

I had planned on bringing at least half home and remembered a great tip from my cousin Eleanor during our chat last month: ask for a to-go box to be brought with your meal. I didn’t split it right away, but having the box in front of me was a great visual reminder to eat slowly and leave food on my plate.

It worked perfectly! In the end, I only ate about a third of the ribeye and half of the potatoes and veggies. Which, of course, left room for dessert—an apple blossom (basically a mini apple turnover) with a scoop of ice cream. Dessert definitely put me over my fat goal for the day, but that’s okay - because there are no bad foods!

Here’s the thing about having dessert once in a while: it tastes so darned delicious. Since sweets aren’t a regular part of my diet, every bite feels special and worth savoring.

Tomorrow Joe and I plan to go to a Blanket Bingo event with Megan, Jeremy, and the kids. On Sunday, Joe, Megan, and Jeremy will be heading up to Brainerd to help Shelly and Artie move, while I get to spend the day with the fabulous Oliver. A whole day of Grandma and Ollie hanging out and having fun! I’ll also make sure Pan and Sylvie get outside for their potty breaks.

On Monday, Pan and Sylvie will come stay with Joe and me while the Formo family heads off on their seven-day vacation. Unless, of course, their flight gets canceled. Delta has notified them they’ll get a 48-hour notice if that happens. Once they’re in the air, I’ll move on to my next job: worrying that their flight back doesn’t get canceled. Someone has to do the worrying!

I hope your day was full of good stuff, too.

Always Good to Check the Facts

Image created by ChatGPT

Since the Blue sweep across the nation on Tuesday elections, Forty-Seven has decided he should showcase how his economic actions since January 25th are helping the economy. Forty-seven has brought up in several interviews that food prices are down. I suspect anyone who is buying food knows this simply is not true. 

Aaron Parnas shows one example of how 47's lower price claims are misleading:

"This morning, the president posted that Walmart had lowered the cost of Thanksgiving dinner by 25% in 2025 compared to 2024, framing it as proof that inflation is falling under his leadership.

But the comparison is misleading.

Here’s what Trump didn’t mention:

• The 2025 “basket” he referenced includes six fewer items than the 2024 version.

• Last year’s list featured 21 brand-name products.

• This year’s list contains 15 “Great Value” generic items.

In short: the president compared brand-name groceries in 2024 with generic, lower-cost alternatives in 2025, not the same products, not the same quantities, and therefore not a real 25% price drop.

The claim is part of Trump’s broader effort to rebrand after electoral setbacks — but it highlights how easily data can be manipulated to fit a political message." (https://substack.com/@aaronparnas/p-178220842)

GAS PRICES

Another glaring error on 47's part is when he say gas prices are under $2.00. This my be true somewhere in another country.  

See the full list of average price for regular gas by state:

State	Average Price (Regular)
Alaska	$3.827
Alabama	$2.655
Arkansas	$2.600
Arizona	$3.360
California	$4.651
Colorado	$2.854
Connecticut	$3.041
District of Columbia	$3.205
Delaware	$2.916
Florida	$2.969
Georgia	$2.784
Hawaii	$4.480
Iowa	$2.745
Idaho	$3.358
Illinois	$3.201
Indiana	$2.907
Kansas	$2.707
Kentucky	$2.675
Louisiana	$2.608
Massachusetts	$2.990
Maryland	$2.952
Maine	$3.025
Michigan	$2.974
Minnesota	$2.868
Missouri	$2.673
Mississippi	$2.591
Montana	$3.027
North Carolina	$2.756
North Dakota	$2.840
Nebraska	$2.823
New Hampshire	$2.924
New Jersey	$2.969
New Mexico	$2.764
Nevada	$3.903
New York	$3.104
Ohio	$2.921
Oklahoma	$2.560
Oregon	$3.886
Pennsylvania	$3.213
Rhode Island	$2.921
South Carolina	$2.684
South Dakota	$2.834
Tennessee	$2.634
Texas	$2.554
Utah	$3.198
Virginia	$2.907
Vermont	$3.092
Washington	$4.285
Wisconsin	$2.761
West Virginia	$2.973
Wyoming	$2.945

Source: https://www.mentalfloss.com/geography/maps/average-gas-price-per-state as of November 4, 2025.

In Minnesota at Costco we pay $2.70 over the past several months. 

So a warning not to be gaslit by claims coming out of Washington DC that food and gas are cheaper as a result of anything forty-seven's administration is doing.