LINDSBORG -- Can lutefisk and candlelight eradicate pathogens?
According to breaking news in The Handlin Herald, "Swedish-American Woman Eradicates Visitors and Pathogens with Lutefisk and Light from Birthday Cake." While the "story" is making the rounds on social media, it is merely a good-natured, humorous birthday wish from a far-away son to his mother in Lindsborg.
Daryl Handlin, who lives in Oregon, wrote the Facebook post in honor of his mother's 85 birthday and posted it Tuesday morning.
"In less than a minute, retired teacher, mother, grandmother, sister, Lutheran church member, altruist and friend, Darlene Handlin, knocked out bacteria and viruses, while also repelling visitors, with Scandinavian delicacies in her Central Kansas home," Daryl wrote.
He continued, "Mrs. Handlin, who is not a doctor but a person that has a good you-know-what, initially hit the body with the aroma of the gelatinous seafood delicacy, otherwise known as lutefisk."
Daryl went on to quote his mother explaining how the "reconstituted cod soaked in lye" that dates back to the Viking era, gets into the lungs to eradicate bacteria and viruses. He also noted that lutefisk is "believed to be a key weapon in promoting social distancing—although more testing needs to be conducted."
"The cleansing main course of lutefisk (stinkig fisk, served during the shelter-in-place idiomatic Smörgåsbord, was accompanied by baked brown beans (Bruna Bönor, boiled new potatoes (Färskpotatis) in a delicate cream sauce, fresh cucumber and dill (Färsk gurka med dill) from her garden and Swedish-style rye crisp bread (knäckebröd). Handlin then exposed any remaining pathogens to the eighty-five luminous candles atop her layered Swedish torte (Prinsesstårta) birthday cake," Daryl wrote, noting that his mother "earlier that day cleaned out the entire candle supply at Scott’s Hometown Foods."
"Life in the Smoky Valley on the Kansas plains can be hard. Swedish settlers have had to endure tornados, drought, mosquitoes, Lutheran church fissures, The Bethany Oratorio Society’s Messiah and St. Mathew’s Passion performance cancellation and even wind cancer. Fortunately, there are pioneers and educators like Mrs. Handlin who continue to challenge new frontiers," Daryl wrote.
He then wished his mother a happy 85th birthday.
The story also included the following disclaimer.
"The Handlin Herald, whose motto: 'If it's news you want, we're handlin' it!', is not a real news source. Daryl is hardly a reputable journalist, and his articles are often poorly edited and rely on a plethora of alternative facts."
Daryl, who moved to Oregon with his family approximately two and a half years ago, told Salina Post that his original plan was to fly back to Kansas to help his mother celebrate her 85th birthday earlier this week.
"Unfortunately, with the current travel restrictions I was unable to be there in person, so I thought I’d do something to celebrate and bring attention to another milestone birthday. We celebrated her 80th at the Sundstrom Conference Center in Lindsborg with quite a nice turn-out of around 200 attending. She taught thousands of students over the years in the Smoky Valley and even continued to substitute a few times during her 84th year, so she is well-known, and well-liked and admired by many. She mentioned recently that she thought she might go ahead and let her teaching license expire, since it will would likely be some time before she could get back into the schools," he explained.
So how did his mother take the post? In the comments, she wrote, "Thank you, Daryl! This was the first thing I saw on Facebook this morning. I've laughed and laughed. I think this is your best. Love, Mom."
When asked if he ate lutefisk, Daryl replied, "I do not eat lutefisk or pickled herring. When we were young, we tried to give some to our cat, and he didn’t eat it either. Farm cats are scrappy so when they will not eat something, it’s probably not fit for human consumption either, although I know some Swedes, including my mother, who partake from time to time."
Daryl, a licensed clinical social worker who provides mental health/behavioral health services to persons age 12 and older, got his start in humorous/satiracal writing after following a humorous presenter at a professional conference.
"A few years ago I gave a presentation at a statewide conference in Kansas, where I worked and lived for most of my life. My presentation followed a really articulate and funny presenter, John Shuchart, who is the author of 'You are not the brightest of my four sons'…and other depressing things that have been said to me. It was kind of like being the following act to the Beatles, as he is very funny and an entertainer. He discussed how humor and writing helped him reframe distressing thoughts and saved his life," Daryl explained.
A while after that encounter, he published for family and friends his first edition of The Handlin Herald.
"It was a way to reframe some of the distressing thoughts I was having regarding the news cycle. Other satirists such as Andy Borowitz of the Borowitz Report, The Onion’s writers, and Randy Rainbow are also inspirations," he noted.