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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Dear Carolyn, What a loving tribute to your husband. I am so sorry for your loss. Grieving is a singular journey, but it does not need to be a lonely one. I hope you find a community of fellow travelers who support one another on this new, emotional path.
After my son died 9 years ago, friends advised me to “be kind” to myself. I had no idea what that meant, but eventually, I learned that it wasn’t getting a mani-pedi (though that is always nice) but rather allowing myself to say no, and I mean that in the most positive sense. Though I temporarily I cut back on my small event catering business, I found the process and creativity of preparing a new recipe for my family very cathartic, and made me feel close to my son. He loved my cooking! I hope, once you get there, that your baking endeavors bring you comfort.
I’m so sorry for your loss! Sending prayers and love during this difficult time
Hello Carolyn, I am so sorry for your and your families loss. Please, take your time, it is not easy to recover from this kind of loss and you and your children need each other now. I had breast cancer and found out about my abdominal aneurism by accident when I had a scan done for something else recently and that frightens me more than the cancer. That being said I have always lived my life thinking that each of us have so many heartbeats and that helps me to stay focused on my life one day at a time. I am truly one of those nutty people that believe that your Husband will stay with you as long as needed until the pain of the loss subsides so that you can function as well as possible without your best friend and remember him more times than not with laughter and a smile. Thoughts and blessings go to you and your family and please, if you need to cry at what may seem an odd time do so. It is your psyche and your body helping you to heal.{{{{{HUGS))))))
OMGosh, I’m so sorry for you and your children’s loss. Sending you and your families love, and keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers.
I am devastated at your loss, Carolyn. I believe in prayer with all my heart and will definitely be praying for you and your family. I am so incredibly sorry that you are forced to walk this road.
Oh Carolyn!
My heart is breaking over this tragic news. Know there is another angel in heaven that is watching over you.
Sending strong hugs, love and prayers to you and the family.
Preordering the book and will get a few others too.
Theresa & Tasha
I’m so sorry for the loss of your husband. I can’t imagine the pain you are going through right now, but please know that you are not alone. Your husband sounds like a wonderful man who is leaving behind a legacy of love and kindness. May you find solace in the memories you shared together.
Carolyn, I am heartbroken for you and your family. Anyone who followed you knew of your love for Tim. may God bring comfort, peace and light your path forward.
Carolyn I am so very sorry for the loss of your husband. My deepest condolences to you and your family. I too loss my husband unexpectedly in November and the grief is overwhelming. I am reading a book called Grief Day by Day by Jan Warner. It does help. I’ve been told “You will not ‘get over’ the loss; you will learn to live with it.” So true. The memories keep me going they will for you too… memories and your children, family and friends. Don’t hesitate to lean on your friends and family for support. Many blessings and big hugs.
Dear Carolyn,
So sorry to hear of your loss of your wonderful husband. You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. Sending love to you.
Warm regards,
Jane
Our condolences to you and your family. Our prayers go out to you. You have been an integral part of our keto journey these past 3 years and a great deal of our success has been due to your recipes.
I am so sorry for your loss. Your husband sounds like an amazing man. I will be praying for your family.
You will be in my thoughts and prayers through this difficult grieving period. Know that God holds you in the palm of His hand. You were blessed to have had such a wonderful best friend and companion.
With love!
Carolyn, I’m so very sorry for such a significant loss to your heart and your community and family.
I am so sorry for your loss. My prayers are with you in this time of great sorrow. I will forever be one of your followers. ❤️
So deeply, deeply sorry for your loss. Sending love to you and your family.