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 was so deeply saddened to hear this news, how so very tragic for you and your family I am lifting you up in prayer . Please take care of yourself and your children. We will be here when you get back. Take your time. Thank you for suggesting what we can do to help, I will Pin 5 to 10 of your recipes every day and I just ordered a second pre-order it will make a great gift for someone. Your online family loves and appreciates you and we are here to support you. Hugs, prayers and love sent your way.
Carolyn, I’m so sorry to hear about your husband. I know you are devastated. I am praying for you and your family and will forever support you r business, which I’ve appreciated so much over the years
OMG my heart goes out to you! Our daughter lost her soulmate many years ago he waa only 36. I say this only to tell you that I kinda understand your grief! And if I could, I would wrap you in a giant hug! But please know that I am praying all kinds of comfort for you and your family. I also just placed an order for you new cookbook. I have enjoyed your website and your recipes for quite a while. Thank you for all that you do and I hope all good things for you. You are loved!
Judy
I’m so sorry to hear your tragic news Carolyn…
Will be praying for you & your children over the next while.
Kindest regards
Lee
From Australia…
I am so sorry for your loss – you and your family will be in my prayers. 🤍🙏
What to say? Words feel so useless. Crying is caring, so do plenty then get on with living as that is what Tim would probably have wanted.
I am so sorry for your loss. Saying prayers for all of you. Thanks for letting us know.
I’m very sorry for your loss, particularly when it’s sudden…I will say a prayer for you and family. I thank you for the wonderful recipes you’ve shared that I’ve made and we love.
Dear Carolyn I am So sorry to hear about your husband. I am in Australia and really look forward to your regular emails with the different recipes each week. I thought i would share some information about what is called AAA or Abdominal Aortic Aneurism. My MIL passed with the same condition in 1979 in her sleep. Goingvforward several years to 2015 my husband was tested and he had a large aneurism and had surgery to have a stent inserted in the artery. I have found that it can be a genetic condition as 1 of his siblings had an aneurism also. my husband was in his 70’s when he had surgery. Unfortunately a lot of people dont know they have an aneurism unless you get tested for it or it is found when getting tested for something else. If you have children it would be wise for them to get tested and also any siblings of your husband. I hope you dont mind me giving you the information in this reply email. Please keep going with your recipes. Love and best wishes.
I’m so sorry. My heart hurts for you. As for me, I’ll give you all the grace, peace, and space you need. Blessed be.
Oh Carolyn. Im so sorry. I will pray for you and your family. May God bless you with peace and comfort 💕🙏🏻
So sorry for your loss.I know how youfeel as I lost my husband at the end of January.Just take one day aat a time as you will nevr know what feelings will come up.Blessings that you can focus on the good memories.Prayers coming your way.
My sincere condolences to you and your family.
Debra
He recently got one or more vaccines ?
Carolyn and children, my heart goes out to you. I’m saddened by your loss of your life partner Tim and father of your children. May you find the strength to allow grieving, then remember your greatest gifts are to continue the love of family and friends. Precious memories of Tim will always be with you. Carolyn may your journey forward let you and your children live your lives to the fullest.
My deepest sympathy,
Christine
As a 25yo mom of 2 littles and a baby, my 25yo husband suddenly widowed me in 1990.
Ur right, there is NO pain the extent or depth of widowhood. Literally half of u is torn away. U don’t heal, u simply learn how to keep on with a bloody stump. When u get good at it, ppl pronounce u all better. That’s ok, they are blessed that they can’t possibly grasp it.
I’m 60 now. I can’t wait to see my beloved. The day is closer every day!