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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So, so sorry for your loss, Carolyn!
I pray for you and your family in these difficult times. May you be comforted and find peace. Stay strong!
Deepest Sympathy. Prayers for your family.
Dear Carolyn,
I am so very sorry for your terrible loss – for you and your children. I cannot even begin to offer words of comfort, except to say that I have been so encouraged by your amazing recipes (since Lockdown 1.0) that have made following keto so much more interesting and delightfully tasty. Of course you need to take time to walk and process this journey of profound grief; just know that whenever you are ready, I will be here looking forward to your wonderful insights and recipes. For now, look after you and yours, and know that your community wishes you comfort, wellness and wholeness in due time. Take care my dear. BIG VIRTUAL HUG
My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family.
I am sincerely sorry for your loss. May your precious memories bring you comfort and you navigate this journey.
I’m so sorry to hear of your loss, death is the hardest thing to walk through. I lost my mother and my sister within nine months of each other, it’s been 4 years and I still haven’t gotten over it, so I can sympathize with your loss. I pray that God will give you the peace that surpasses all understanding and that your faith will sustain you as you walk out this portion of the journey of your life. Blessings.
Reatha Born
You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers!
God bless you all.
trudi
Oh no! I am so very sorry to read this! May God grant you all the grace to navigate this hard season of your life! Praying for you all!
My heart goes out to you and your family! Sending you tons of love, hugs, and prayers! Thank you for sharing with us all your good news, good food, love and this indeed heartbreaking news!
I’m so very sorry for your unimaginable loss! My thoughts and prayers are with you.
I’m so sorry for your loss. Sending prayers to you and your family at this time.
I am so very sorry for your loss, please take time for yourself and your family and do not think that you have to do anything with your website etc.
look after yourself now and give yourself all the time you need.
Sending much love xxx
I am sorry to hear the sad news of your husband’s passing. Sending prayers and love in your time of need. Take time to deal with your situation and look forward to the time you can return to sharing your wonderful recipes with the world.
Carolyn,
I am so sorry for your loss. You have inspired me so much with your cooking, dedication and humbling words. Take all the time you need (it will take time – someone told me that it takes at least one month for every year you were together). I will look into buying your protein cookbook!
Carolyne, I AM your fan and I know that in moments like this there are no right words. I send You a Big Hugh from México and I Wish enoght strength for You and your family.
Carolyn…
What shocking news…our hearts break for you and your family…you have and are such an inspiration to so many….your community that you have worked so hard to build will help lift you up…you are in our thoughts and prayers…
I am so, so sorry for the loss of your husband and children’s father. Love and Prayers ❤️🙏♥️