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!
Sending so much love and prayers to you and your family in this horrible time. I cannot imagine how difficult it is but I pray that you feel the support surround you and the memories help you through. ❤️🩹
I’m lifting you in prayer to our Heavenly Father, dear Carolyn. Praying for your family as you grieve the loss of your husband and best friend, Tim. May you know the Lord’s presence, reaching out to comfort you.
Prayers for you and your family
I send you and your family my sincerest condolences. I too lost the love of my life in 2018 after nearly 45 years of marriage. Although he was completing chemo for Hodgkin’s lymphoma he had an unexpected complication.
He also was my rock, my protector and a wonderful christian man.
Although you will hear from some that you will get thru your grief, it is still always there. So many little things will pop up that will remind you of him.
Praying for comfort in your grief,
You and your family are in my prayers.
Oh, I am so sorry! I’m 16 years old and I can’t imagine how I would feel if my dad passed. I will pray for your husbands soul and your whole family!! ❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹
I love your content and follow you daily. I wish I had words that could comfort you. You are so gifted, I can only imagine Tim was as well. Hugs to you and your family.
This IS heartbreaking news. You and your family will in my prayers.
Carolyn, I’m so sorry to read of your news of the loss of your husband. I can’t begin to imagine what youre going through. My prayers are with you for comfort and healing. Thank you for sharing-I love your column and recipes and will miss you but completely understand. Please know we’re all sending love and prayers.
I am so terribly sorry to read this.. so heartbroken for your sudden, unexpected, unfair loss. Praying for you and your family. Thank you for sharing such a tender and vulnerable message with us. Thank you for giving us ways to help you and your family and connect our humanity through the miles and screens.
I’m so sorry for your loss. Sending prayers for comfort
I am heartbroken for you and your family. Love, hugs, and prayers
I am so sorry to hear about your husband. I can’t even begin to imagine what you are going through. I will be praying for you and your family.
Carolyn:
We are so saddened to hear your heartbreaking news. My family has. been following you for so long that you feel like a dear friend. The loss of your husband is truly tragic. We are sending warm hugs and love to you. May they provide you strength during this time. Please know we are thinking about you and Tim and your family. Vickie
I’m so sorry for your loss! Please take as much time as you need for yourself and your family. I will pray especially for your children to understand what has happened and get through this painful time.
God bless you and yours!
My prayers are with you.