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 husband passed also it has been just a month now. They say don’t do anything major for the first year. One day at a time. He was a personal trainer and also had a few books published. I will buy your protein one now. https://www.amazon.com/stores/Kenny-Cook/author/B0CV4F9G36?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=53c2d158-60b7-4011-a4b7-153b9a3e9126
I just now caught the news you lost your husband. I am so sorry for your loss and you have my sincere condolences. I have been a subscriber and user of your recipes for many years now and I truly believe you are the absolute best. You have my continued support and prayers!
Thank you.
Sending love and healing thoughts to you and your family, dear Carolyn! You have made our low carb life so much easier and more enjoyable! 💕🙏
There are no words to alleviate the pain of the loss of your beloved husband and the father of your children. My sincere condolences.
Please accept my deepest
Due to personal circumstances I am not in social media much and I’m way behind on emails. I did comment on Facebook when you first posted, but Facebook may not have published my comment to you.
I lost my husband on October 27, 2023. I empathize with your grief.
The first year is so hard. Please be patient with yourself. The brain fog, alone,
can make everything difficult.
Best wishes to you and your family as you navigate the year of firsts during the holiday season. ❤️
Thank you.
Just read your comments today. So sorry for your loss. I am glad I was able to read about your husband. He sounds like he was an amazing person. I will be lifting you and your family up in prayer.
I am sorry for your loss!
I’m only reading this news now, but wanted to extend my condolences and support. I’m so sorry for your loss.
Oh Carolyn I’m so so sorry, how very awful for you.
Sending love a hugs from Australia. Did you hear that Ketogenic Woman Anita Breeze and fellow Canadian just lost her sister in an accident. Maybe you need to reach out to each other
…
My deepest sympathy Carolyn. It is always difficult to find words of comfort in such situations. I am so very sorry for you and your family. I do so appreciate your site and you really helped me when I had to become gluten free. Thank you for all you do and have done. Bless you and your family.
Hi Carolyn,
I’m not sure we have ever met, but your husband was a good friend and classmate of mine at Haverford College. His positive energy and relentless optimism were among the many lasting impacts he had on our class.
I am so sorry for your loss and I will be holding you and your family in the Light.
Sincerely,
Erik M
Thank you, Erik. I appreciate your thoughts.