Dear readers,
These are the hardest words I will ever have to write. My husband, Tim Ketchum, died suddenly last week of what was first thought to be an abdominal aneurysm. Doctors now think he may have had a genetic connective tissue disorder that weakened the structure of his aorta.
He was my partner in every sense of the word. He was my best friend, my confidante, my safe place. And oh, he was such an amazing father. He shared the burden of raising our three children with gusto, being present in a way that most dads will never be.
Everyone who ever met Tim loved him. Even people who only met him in passing were charmed by him. Warm, compassionate, loving, thoughtful. And funny as hell! I fell in love with him because he made me laugh. And even as life became more complicated and serious, we never lost that connection, that goofiness and silliness that made every situation easier to bear.
I feel compelled to share here because I am not quite sure what the future looks like. Certainly for the near term, I will be scaling back my time on All Day I Dream About Food so I can focus on my family and my grief. You will still see posts and recipes from me, but I don’t quite know with what frequency. I will be taking the easy route, updating older posts and sharing simple recipes. I have a backlog of some already that I can share over the next few weeks. I also have help with my social media and I am every so grateful to Stephanie, who has taken over my Facebook page completely for now.
Then again, I may decide to lose myself in the process of baking and create some amazing keto cakes. I honestly don’t know what I want or what I need right now. But I ask that you give me grace for not answering your questions in a timely fashion.
How you can help
I am so fortunate to have created an amazing community of readers and followers, some of whom have been with me for over a decade. I know many of you will want to help in some way. And I am grateful for your thoughts and your kindness.
The best thing you can do is keep coming to my website, reading my posts (both new and old), and sharing my posts on social media. Share to groups, share with friends, and pin my recipes to your Pinterest boards. This website has been my family’s source of income for many years now and views will generate much needed ad revenue. I know that ads can be cumbersome, but I ask that you take time to scroll through each post a little bit.
Another great way to help me is to purchase my cookbooks. In particular, pre-order my upcoming book, The Protein Advantage. I will not have much time to promote it now, but it’s something I worked so hard on. I would love to see it succeed and pre-orders make a huge difference to the overall sales of the book. It helps retailers decide how many copies they want to keep on their shelves. And I can assure you, it’s a book worthy of your time.
Thank you for reading. If you are a spiritual person, please send up some thoughts for the wonderful Tim Ketchum. He was a light in the world and touched so many people. I can say confidently that if you had met him, you would have loved him.
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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so sorry for your loss! My husband passed last November and It’s not easy to carry on without him! Right now you’re going to be overwhelmed with grief but it will get better and youwill want to get back into your own life eventually! Take your time an̈d don’t rush anything! Two greatest things in life are love and grief!! The harder you love the more you grieve!
Take care and be kind to yourself!
I am so sorry for you, as well.
My goodness! I am so sorry for your loss. Take the time to heal. Your tribe isn’t going anywhere.
I will keep your family in my prayers as you face the uncertainty of the future without your husband. My heart breaks for you and your children. May you find peace in the coming days. Much love, Kim
I’m so sorry for your loss! I share in your grief as I lost my husband 8 months ago. Grief takes time to work through so let yourself not flow with it. Don’t put pressure on yourself to get over it, that won’t work. Let the goodness of the life you shared also be your healing balm and let the presence of the Lord fill you with the reality of His blessings. May your children also be able to focus on these blessings as well. It’s not an easy time to go through , but family , good friends and time are important to cling to as well as quiet personal time to reflect, cry and work through it all. Lots of love.
I’m so sorry to hear that, my condolences to you and your family, you’re an amazing woman.
I’m so sorry to hear about the death of your amazing husband. I will pray for you and your family that you will have comfort and strength as you deal with this loss.
Sincerely,
April Walker❤️🙏🏽
Carolyn, I am so sorry for your profound loss. I’m thinking of you and your family. I’m glad you’ll be taking all the time and space you need to focus on yourself and your needs during this painful time. Wishing you all the support and grace as you hold this. I’m pre-ordering your new cookbook now.
I am so sorry to hear of your loss. I wish you peace.
Carolyn, I’m so very sorry to hear this. You’ve been my very favorite source of keto treats and desserts for several years now, and as such, you’ve been a part of so many of our happiest moments and family celebrations. Here’s hoping that some kind words from your readers can help lift you up just a little bit during this devastating time.
I am so sorry for your loss. I’m praying for you and your family. 🙏💙
Carolyn, I am so sorry to hear this shocking and very sad news. Sending my sincere condolences to you and your family on the loss of your beloved husband/father.
Carolyn, I am so sorry for your loss. I literally gasped out loud when I read this. You have shared so much of yourself with us I feel like I know you. I will pray for you and your children as you navigate this terrible situation.
As a long time follower of you, you have become a daily friend check in. I am so very sorry for your loss. You and your family are in my prayers 🙏. May your memories of Tim help you through this difficult time. God bless.
My deepest condolences to you and your children. I’m very sorry for your loss. My heart goes out to you. Thank you for sharing this news with us.
Dear Carolyn,
My very deepest condolences, sympathies and prayers for your loss. I have come to think of you as a personal friend and neighbor (I know that’s a bit silly), having read and enjoyed your emails and website for three years now and just living in the next state over in Idaho. I am sure so many others of your readers share the same sentiments. Please know we are with you in spirit and may our Lord be with you in your grief and trials during this part of your life.
With much love and ‘Internet’ friendship,
Lori Walla
I am so, so sorry about your dear husband. I can’t even imagine the grief. This was a beautiful tribute. My husband and I will be praying for you. We’ve been avid fans of your website and recipes for nearly 10 years and have several of your cookbooks.