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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My greatest condolences. I may never know the extent of your grief or that of your children but know that everyone that knows you feels for you and your family and prays that you will find solace in knowing your husband was loved and will be as long as he remains in your hearts and memories. There is no greater love than our Heavenly Father who will bless you, love you and keep trim safe and free from life’s burdens.
Sending much love & condolences on your devastating loss . I lost my bubby in 2013 & it is the hardest time but look up to the sun & the shadows will fall behind
Carolyn, I am sending hugs and prayers. I love you and your family. You have helped me so much over the years. May God wrap his loving arms around you and give you comfort.
Love Evelyn Horsely
I am so awfully sorry for your great loss. Take care of yourself and your family.
Sue
Carolyn,
I am so sorry for your loss. There truly are no words that can help but know you have an army of support both known and unknown.
Dear Carolyn,
I am so sorry for your loss, you have my deepest sympathy.
Take care of you and yours first, we’ll be here waiting for you, whenever you are ready.
I’ll burn a candle for your Tim tonight 🙏🏻
my sincerest condolences.
we, the readers, and lovers of your recipes, understand that this is a very, very important time in yours and your family’s life. we will still be here, for you, no matter how long it takes to carve out your different state of life & new reality.
God bless you 🙏
My thoughts are with you and your family at such a very sad time.
My prayers are with you and your family at this time. I am so sorry you have to go through this. I went through this when I was in my 40’s and it was so hard. Take your time and do your grieving and don’t worry about us, we will still be here for you whenever you are ready to come back. Love & prayers!
Please accept my deepest condolences. This must be the hardest time of your life. Grieving takes time, take your time and hold on to your family and loved ones. In moments like these, words often fall short.
I discovered you 5 years ago when I started keto for health reasons. Your recipes have made it easy for me to maintain that lifestyle. Thank you for the recipes and your dedication.
You are a smart, funny and amazing woman who I respect so much, time will tell what is most important to you to get through this. You don’t always have to be happy, embrace your feelings.
Please take care of yourself.
Sending love.
Terry
So sorry for your loss. Of course, take the time you need for you and your family’s grief and making your way through all the changes that will come.
Carolyn,
Working with Tim at Kaufman Hall was truly amazing time, Tim brought so much positivity, laughter, and kindness every day at work. My thoughts are with you & your children.
With deepest sympathy,
-Chris
Dear Carolyn,
You don’t know me but I konw you, from years now, you are my trusty source of great sweet recipes and, somehow, I feel connected to you and your family. That is why I feel so sorry for your loss, trough the Internet, over the ocean, from Catalonia.
I will be waiting for your comeback whenever you feel the need. I am not going anywhere.
I am very sorry for your families loss. Jan 23, 2023 I lost my partner of 17 yrs. he too passed suddenly. He had an aortic aneurysm as well. Genetic in his family apparently on his father’s side. The grief, feeling of loneliness, being lost is real. Just hang on tight to your kids, take time to grieve and whatever you do, keep busy, it helps, even when you think you can’t do it anymore, somehow you find the will and the purpose. God be with you all.
I’m so sorry to read your very sad news Caroline. Just awful & may you have the extra strength to get through these very tough days.
Praying for you & yours.
P.S. I’ve made many of your recipes & will look into buying your new book soon.
Pam (in Australia)
Carolyn,
I am so sorry for your loss. You have my deepest sympathy.