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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I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your husband my deepest condolences.
Carolyn I am just heartbroken for you. I have lost two children at 29 and 42. I found it better to keep to my usual routine rather than sit around and cry. Grieving will happen in waves over time. May God Bless you and your dear children who have lost their father.
Carolyn – please accept my sincerest condolences on the loss of someone so special to you. Your blog is wonderful and I appreciate all that you do to help those of us interested in sticking to a low carb diet. Cherish those memories and don’t hold in the grief. Time does heal but it will be a slow process. Prayers for you and your family.
Carolyn, you dont know me but youre my Keto Family. Im so terrible sorry for the lods of Tim. I too have a connective tissue disorder called hypermobile ehlers danlos syndrome and know too well of the cadiac risks that come eith Marfans/EDS/etc. I hope in time they can do genetic markers for your children’s future sake. my hypermobile type doesnt have a gene responsible fully so it is by clinical symptoms. Keto made him live his best food life undoubtedly. You are such a joy and first name basis in my home. Take every minute you need for healing. Many hugs sent your way. Sincerely, Dana.
Carolyn, I’m so sorry for your loss. Tim sounds like a wonderful man. I hope you’ll find comfort in precious memories and the support of your friends and family (and, to a lesser extent, of course, those of us who follow your posts and wish you well). Take good care of yourself.
Carolyn,
I have not had the privilege of ever meeting your husband (or you) but it certainly does sound like he was (as my Grandfather would way when he was paying them the ultimate compliment) “He (or she) sure was worth knowing!” Not to worry about anything except your own grief and things that you feel like you are the only one who can take care of something. Your “tribe” will do whatever you need done until you want to start doing some familiar things again. Whatever you decide is fine. Take good care. Let us know how we can help besides what you have already mentioned. Prayers up for you and your husband.
Best,
Joan Sullivan
So sorry to hear this happened to you and your family. My condolences to you all. Take all the time you need to grieve; there is no time limit.
I am so sorry to hear about your loss. I lost my husband to COVID a few years ago and know how heart breaking it is to lose your soulmate. I pray for you and your loved ones and that you hold each other close during this time. I love your recipes and cook books – you helped me handle a tough time when I was diagnosed pre-diabetic. My advise is to take your time to grieve and know that your fans will be here when you need us.
I’m so so sorry Carolyn, what a lovely husband, best friend, father and companion. 💙
so sad for you Carolyn. Iam a spiritual person and I pray Tim knew Jesus. I also pray for you as you work thru the unimaginable grief and pray there will be people around to support you. Take all the time you need.
Pam xx
I am so sorry for your loss. You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. I love your blog and recipes. I will continue to read and share and cook.
So sorry to read of your loss. I experienced a house fire that destroyed everything I owned, rented there 17 years. thank God my 2 old cats died laast year.
Peace and grace be unto you.
Liz
Carolyn, I’m so so sorry! Please do take the time to grieve & focus on your family. I will be praying for you & your children as you do. ❤️
My heart hurts for you.
It hasn’t been long since I first came across one of your recipes and after that I always check out any new recipe that comes into my email from you.
My husband has passed too. Everyone’s journey is unique, but I do understand how to pray for you as you navigate this new turn in your life. Ruth
Prayer for you and you family.
My deepest condolences
Condolences Carolyn.
I have met Tim and I have fallen in love with him. And just to make Tim chuckle – I am dead serious!
Hanging out with him, Trevor, and our late great dog Wilbur last year At Cottonwood canyon was an absolute treat and a memory I will cherish forever !!
LMK if there is anything I can do…
(Book preordered 🙂