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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Carolyn…I am so very sorry for the loss of your husband, best friend and father of your children. I pray you find peace and comfort in God and His promises.
Oh Dear Friend, I’m sitting in my car in tears for you.
Praying for you and your family. Such a sudden loss leaves a person in such a fog and it can last for quite a while.
Take the time you need and we will share and like and post and order.
hugs and love from Missouri
Oh Carolyn! I don’t have adequate words to describe how incredibly sorry I am to hear this. Life takes some very unexpected turns at times, and nothing could ever prepare us for a tragedy such as this. I pray God wraps his loving arms around you and your children and provides healing and comfort. Of course I will always stay with you – I have one of your earlier cookbooks and will definitely order your new one. You have been such a valuable resource and a source of inspiration for so many people.
Praying for you and your family. May you find peace and comfort in your days ahead.
oh, Carolyn! My heart just breaks 💔 for you..I am SO very sorry about your wonderful husband Tim..losing a partner in life, and so suddenly leaves you lost, I know I felt that way when I lost my only child, Michael suddenly at 24. I literally lost half my soul. Please know we all love you! Take your time to grieve with your children..you all will be grieving in different ways😢
Carolyn, thank you for sharing your deepest pain right now. Everyone grieves differently so take your time. Do what you feel would honor him. I’m pre-ordering your new cookbook. I’m praying that you get comfort and peace from your followers and family during this time.
My deepest condolences. I am so so sorry for the loss of your husband. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
I’m so sorry for your loss! Praying for you and your family.
Dear Carolyn, my heart is breaking for you. Your online memorial is so beautiful and heartfelt, it made me cry. A loving tribute to a truly remarkable man
So very sorry for your loss, he’s in our prayers.
Oh, Carolyn, I am so so sorry for your loss. I am pre-ordering your book. Sending you hugs.
Carolyn my DEEPEST sympathies on tour family’s loss! You say you don’t know what you need; I believe you need to go thru the grieving process with your family without a thought to your fans! Give yourself time and Grace to heal; much love and respect to y’all.
I know there are no words that can ease your heart right now. I’m so sorry you, your family and the world lost such a wonderful man. I have known the deep grief you are experiencing. Sometimes I felt my body would physically disintegrate because it couldn’t hold all the grief I felt. I know you can’t quite see a future now, but Life sorts itself out, given time. And one day you and your children will be able to smile and feel happiness again even though you will always grieve for him.
My deepest condolences. May perpetual light shine upon him. Praying for you and your children.
Dear Carolyn, I am so sorry to hear of this. Your heart will be breaking as you adjust to your new path in life. You have worked so hard, and what you do in the low carb space has been life changing for my health and the health of so many.
I am praying for you and your family and your husband’s family as well.
I am so sorry to read about your loss.
Praying for you and your family.
I am so very sorry for your loss. I pray that you find comfort and love in the support of those around you and those far away who are praying for you and your family. God keep you in His care as only He can. I also pray that your husband, Tim. I pray that he found himself in the arms of a loving God. God bless you and your sweet family during this incredible time of loss.