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
My heart goes out to you. Prayers for you and your family.
Sooooo sorry for your loss.
Sharon
Praying for comfort and strength during this extraordinarily difficult time.
I am so sorry for your loss. You and your family will be in my prayers.
I am very sorry for your profound loss. Praying for peace and comfort for you and your family.
I’m so sorry for your loss. Hugs and Prayers
May I add my sympathy for your great and unexpected loss of your husband! You don’t know me nor I you, except by your Facebook posts and recipes, your cookbooks and your many comments. But I always read them all and sometimes try your wonderful recipes. So it is with great sadness for you that I make my first comment back to you. I am a Believer and I pray comfort to you and yours, and what now may seem like an impossibility, Peace in the journey of grief and loss ahead for you and your whole family.
In Him, Jayn Harkema, a devoted follower.
Oh, Carolyn… I am so sorry to hear this devastating news. Keeping you & your family in my prayers… Tim sounds like a delight. I’m so sorry.
OH my goodness, my deepest condolences to you and your family. I’m in the middle of making you chocolate chip cookies…I will be praying for y’all, God’s hand of peace, comfort, and healing. In Jesus Name…
Thank you for all you do and share.
Just pre-ordered your protein cookbook. I know it will be amazing just like all the others and your website recipes. Sending love and condolences.
Oh Carolyn, I’m so very very sorry to hear this. I have followed you since the beginning, and you feel like a dear friend to me. Many prayers for you and your family during this season of mourning. Prayers for Tim, and know that God has promised you will see him again. The promise of the resurrection is real and we will be reunited with our loved ones. John 5:28-29 And we, the meek servants of God, after all the struggles of man are done, will inherit a paradise earth on which to live with our beloved ones, and serve our God. But what to do with all the time between now and then? Remain faithful, and lean on God’s promises. Blessings. ♥️
Carolyn – Thank you for sharing so transparently. There are no words I can say that will soothe your anguish. Just know there are many of us who have followed you for years that are sending you love, caring, and “in-courage-ment.” I will continue to support you energetically and to support your work that has been such a help to my Keto journey. Take all the time you need to care for yourself and your sons. Godspeed – Karen Anderson, Arizona
Dear Carolyn, my deepest sympathy for your great loss. You have been very fortunate to have such a great man in your life. May God bless and keep you and your family in His special care. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. You have provided me with so many wonderful recipes and helped keep me going on this Keto journey. I have pre-ordered your new cookbook to help a little. Thank you for all you do. It is very much appreciated.
My sincere condolences. Heartbreaking for sure…my prayers are for you and your loved ones. And Tim of course. ♥️
(And I will preorder too! Your content is amazing and I have many of your recipes. Hubby is Type 1 and I do all I can to remain diabetes free. I’m very thankful for you!)
I’m so sorry to hear about your devastating loss.
Dear Carolyn
I can’t even begin to imagine your pain! But I am glad to know about it. I will pray for comfort, healing, and direction for you and your family.
Love
Gabi
Please accept my condolences to you and your family. I will pray for your husband and family.
Bless you