My Viking Hands, Ireland, Norway, and More!
My Viking Hands!
Hello Friends—Somewhere on that ever-winding double helix staircase of DNA in my body sits a Viking. Bearded. With a battle axe. He’s laughing. He’s an ancestor of mine and he has left some Norse graffiti on my 6, 11 and 16 chromosomes. It’s called Dupuytren’s Contracture. And he waited until I was 50 for me to notice. It appeared as a nodule in my palm—a callus, I initially thought. Over time, it became a band under my skin that pulled and bent my pinky firmly down into my palm. I can’t play guitar with my knuckles, just as the Viking couldn't hold a battle axe with the condition. He’s laughing, because we share the same problem. Thanks, Bjorn. But I live in 2024. We have surgeons. In 1400, my ancestors either lived with it, or axed the finger. This disease generally affects people of Northern European descent and is suspected to have originated in Viking territory. That’s the only cool thing about it. I’m going to Norway to track him down. You can come with me (see below)! Anyhoo—I had surgery on March 1st and I am healing up for six weeks before my traveling life begins with a trip to Ireland! I’m leading a vacation trip April 18-27—want to come? There are still a couple of seats open: https://www.inishfreetours.com/schedule/2020/TRAVELING MEDICINE SHOW!The Traveling Medicine Show (my online livestream series) returns this Friday night (March 15th) with Special Guest Don Conoscenti! His excellent song “Brilliant Masterpiece” is the foundation for this show's theme. Don will play a bunch of songs. Given my hand issue, I will play only a couple of songs, and then I’m really excited for a Show and Tell—I’m going to share some of the visual art that I have created over the years—album covers, album art, lyric pages, and random doodles! Come watch two dear friends riff and raff about music and art! This Friday—March 15th 8pm ET on FB LIVE at Ellis Paul Music and More. The broadcast will be available for 24 hours and then deleted—to catch it after that, subscribe to my Patreon www.patreon.com/ellispaul.ELLIS PAUL CRUISE—AMSTERDAM & NORWEGIAN FJORDS!A Bucket List. I’ve got one. Do you? I’ve decided it’s time to knock off a few items. And I had a great idea—why not drop two dreams in one bucket? How about Amsterdam? I’ve never been. The canals. The Van Gogh Museum. The Red Light District and the cannabis lounges! Bicycles and boats and the Anne Frank Museum. History. Art. And then—Norway. The fjords. The waterfalls tumbling down thousand-foot cliffs. The little red-painted villages standing tall against the coastline and the vast Atlantic ocean and sky. The northern lights. The aurora borealis. The food, the fish, and again—the fjords! Come with me! Join me and a few of my musical friends on a trip of a lifetime. We are taking a cruise from Amsterdam to Norway! June 16-23, 2025. Half the cabins are already sold, to folks who’ve cruised with me before. So don’t wait ... I can’t wait! Special guests will be announced soon. Click here for more info: https://fanclubcruises.com/event/ellis-paul-amsterdam-norwegian-fjordsELLIS PAUL CONCERTS!MARCH 15 The Traveling Medicine Show Online on FBAPRIL 12 SOULFUL SUNDOWN Manhasset, NYAPRIL 13 The Sounding Board Coffeehouse West Hartford, CTAPRIL 14 New Hope Winery New Hope, PAAPRIL 18-27 ☘️ ELLIS PAUL IRELAND VACATION ☘️MAY 3 The Showroom at the Colonial Performing Arts Center Keene, NHMAY 4 Spire Center for the Performing Arts Plymouth, MAMAY 5 The Ground Floor Freeport, MEMAY 15 The 04 Center Austin, TXMAY 24 Jammin’ Java Vienna, VAMAY 25 The Guthrie Center at the Old Trinity Church Great Barrington, MAMAY 26 The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center Old Saybrook, CTWaving warmly goodbye with my one good hand—Ellis
