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.
Free Bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
Sign up for your favorite recipes delivered straight to your inbox plus get our FREE bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
I can’t even imagine how you and your children are feeling. My deepest condolences and God Bless you and your family.
Avid fan
I am so sorry for your loss! You will be in my thoughts and prayers… take care and take the time you need to grieve! ❤️
Oh, Carolyn! I am so very sorry for the loss of your husband – especially the suddenness of it. Thank you for letting us know we will keep you and your family in our thoughts and prayers. Wishing you space and time to grieve and joining with you in supporting your endeavors.
I am very sorry, my sincere condolences to you and your family 😥🙏
Carolyn. I am so sorry for your loss. Your words about your husband refect the live you have for him. Love your recipes and grieve as you need too. Hugs.
Praying for your strength and peace during this difficulttime.
Deepest condolences, Carolyn. I read this quotation the other day and it might generate some small comfort during this season of grief: “The only way through grief is gratitude.” You clearly have that covered as you reflect on the blessing of your husband to your life in your loving tribute. You and your family are in my prayers.
Carolyn, I am so very to read your tragic news. I have enjoyed following you and your recipes for a few years now and will continue to do so. You have a wonderful gift and I want to share with you my appreciation of it. As a Buddhist I will chant for Tim and also for you and your family. I hope you have some solid support around you at this difficult time. Sending love and light, Michelle xxx
I am truly sorry for your loss and am praying for you and your family. You have done so much for so many people and I sure we all wish we could do more for you. Focus on yourself and your family and we will be here supporting you.
Dear Carolyn,
I am shocked reading your devastating news. I am truly sorry to hear of the loss of your partner in life. Tim sounds like he was an incredible person. I know he will be missed by many. From the bottom of my heart, my deepest sympathies to you and your Family. I’m sending prayers your way and thinking of you All. Stay strong.
RM in Australia
My prayers are with you and your family.
I am very sorry for your loss. (In my beliefs) his spirit and life/love energy will always be with you. Lean on your beliefs and family and friends, accept the grief and the memories. My thoughts are being sent to you and yours. Mari
Our prayers and love are with you and your children in this time of difficulties and really hope All will be well for you in the next part of your journey.
We never know why things happen but it is usually what we did not foresee or expect that is always for our advancement on the path of Spirituality (in my humble experience though)…
Kind Wishes
Sending prayers❤️🙏
Carolyn,
My heart is with you and your family. To lose your partner in life this way simply sucks. Take the time to do whatever you need, whenever you need and this community will be there to help see you through.
Li
Carolyn and family,
I am so very sorry for your loss! May Tim Rest with His Creator for eternity. I pray all of you will be covered by God’s Spirit with a Perfect Peace (Shalom Shalom), that you will be under His wing of comfort and rest as you go through the sadness. While also a knowing that your Hope is in Eternity together. I do not know your beliefs, and I pray that God will reveal to you His plan for you and your family. I heard a teaching recently that many people (including me) ask God “Why why?!” but we could never understand the answer. So instead ask “What?! What do you want me to do now?!”. I pray as you ask God “What now?” you will hear God clearly and God will give you the strength, courage, desire to follow the new path. ~With Love and Caring to you all, Debbie Johnson
P.S. Ordering your cookbook now and as always I share like crazy your wonderful videos that I love!