May 6, 2000, letter to fellow Wheeler Ranch alumna Mary Garvin from artist Sally French. Both were my close friends at the time I wrote Living On The Earth.

Hi Grigs,, Ive been lost in Alicia's web the past couple of days..wow what a wonderful writer she is..new appreciation for Alicia and her everblooming
talent..hats off to her! Im going to the mainland soon and can catch her in Berkeley..just miss along the coast..I'm going to LA first then drive up the
coast w/ my friend Heather...

Sally French
 
Dear Alicia,

Discovered your wonderful presence on the web tonight...via a Gallery Bookstore ad in our great bioregional publication New Settler Interview. Wonderful re-discovery of your book...blast from my wonderful past (and still wonderful)!

I notice you will be here in Ukiah on June 22...is there any remote chance that you could do a gig the next day at our wonderful new vegetarian restaurant (Emerald Cafe), before going to Mendocino for the Gallery event? Do you have a place to stay the evening of the 22nd? Maybe we could have a potluck for you at our community house?  Let me know at my address: <larrysheehy@pacific.net> Thanks much!

There was a natural foods cafe in Fresno (in the 70's) called the Bay Laurel, named after your book I think. A very dear friend of mine worked there...gave me a copy of your book. She now lives in Olympia, WA. I will tell her about your Bellingham gig. Too bad you didn't schedule something for Olympia...Lots of folks I know would love it.

I'm involved with a local currency project here...Ukiah HOURS. I bet there were SLO HOURS folks at your event in San Luis Obispo. I imagine you are well aware of the local currency movement that's happening around the country. Our web site is: http://www.greenmac.com

Another place you might want to stop in and visit on your way here would be Real Goods and the Solar Living Center in Hopland. Neat place.

Looking forward to hearing from you and hopefully meeting you on the 22nd. And I will definitely be helping to get the word out here...through my email list, flyers and through the bookstore I'm buying (around the corner from Mendocino Books...mine is used books at present, adding new in the future...spiritual growth, positive social change, poetry...calling it Albion Moonlight Books and Cultural Center...after Kenneth Patchen's book).

Your road trip sounds wonderful...

Larry
in Mendoland
 
I felt honored to meet you last Saturday at Coalesce bookstore. I was  working there and spoke to you briefly about where you get your confidence from. You
spoke to me of your mom, a bit of your business background (which she helped to instill while growing up) and a few other wonderful exchanges. I'm an
older "young" musician and enjoyed your inspiring Art forms. I just wanted to let you know that it would be a pleasure to put you up for some time if you
want a place to stay. I played your CD fro my husband and my 15 yr.old son and we thoroughly enjoyed it. They said it would be nice to have you in our
loving comfort zone we call home. We have plenty of room and I'm typically Cancer in my homemaking ways. I am a percussionist/artist/ joan of all
trades. I hope you would find your stay here inspiring as the 5 cats and one beautiful 4-legged daughter are all part of our loving family. Be well and
enjoy your tour/journey/vision quest. I'm sure you've been on many before. Your wisdom shines through. Peace & Light, Sarah Battalino aka Sarah
Otterwolf
 
dear alicia,

there is beauty in this gentle flow
each tree, each flower which passes
becomes and is
a part of that tree, or that flower which came before
and that which comes after

thank you.
you appeared now, when i most needed you.

with energy
with love,

-dina
   
  Whoa! Just went online to check out your website! It rocks!

LoVe
Karin
   
 
Date: Mon, 22 May 2000 13:13:51 -0500
From: Tom Diaz <tomas@apex.net>
Subject: Chat

I have just found Alicia Bay Laurels web site. I have tag it to our
home. I have pointed arrows in her direction. I have told friends where
to look.
Now I read words, her daily chats about old and new friends along the
path that she has paved. The careful way she walks on this planet. She
stops and sits and lives each day, meeting the world, telling the world
about our planet.
Some thing that I did find out recently is how far behind Kentucky is,
so far behind in the world of caring for the planet. I live fifteen
years behind the times. It is as if I live on an island far from the
caring world.
Find her web site and read, you will become one being filled with care.
She lives in the swirl of color. She speaks of early bohemia. What I
remember of bohemia are the dark black coffee houses along the beaches
of Huntington, Newport, Tin Can and Seal Beaches.
I have to go to work, see you soon. Speak freely, there is no cost.
Badaba,
Tomas
   
  Hi my beautiful sister....I'm following you around on this California
leg..drove up from LA..Sant Barb...Atascadero...now Berk..must go over
to Stockton tonight..but back in time for your gig..Im looking forward
to seeing you and cheering in the crowd..you are once again doing an
incredibly wonderful thing..my love and admiration abound...

we are the same. we are the same. see you soon. xxx sally french
   
  ............it has been such a whirl these
past several days that i haven't gotten to www.alicia. and  now i know how
those women feel who are hooked on the "soaps" and feel cheated if they miss
a day!!....only you are the feel good serial!!.............
lots of love and big hugs, susie
   
  Welcome to New York, Alicia! Now that you have your chic black wardrobe down pat, you'll notice that the avant-stylish have taken to wearing colors that would make a Mauian trailer-parker blush. If there were such a person. By July the rest of us will be doing it too, and thinking that people who try to look sophisticated are obviously from the country.     I love the traveling Website. Now you are virtually omnipresent in more ways than two. It is so totally convergent of you to bring earth consciousness IN MOTION to our shared electronic landscape.     Thank you for the goddess. She is reclining on my desk where she completely covers up the TV set.     And for all other blessings. Especially the sharing, so aptly reflected in your inspiring "Reflections" pages. They inspire by inspiring us all to inspire.     ALOHA,     Tama
   
  letter to hippy.com from Starlight

how excited was i when i saw skip's interview with alicia!!!!! my friend's parents bought that book back when she first released it~ they lived their lives by it. 4 years ago i came across a pristine copy of it in a used book store. it has become one of my most prized possesions and biggest resources for living self sufficiently. thank you thank you skip for re-introducing it to another generation. it still holds mountains of knowledge for our generation and the many to come. =))))))))

reply from hippy.com:

Hey Starlight!
Thanks for your post! I haven't mentioned this before, but I know Alicia personally from my Maui Daze. She's a wonderful person, full of good energy and she sings and plays guitar too! She'll be doing that on her tour. I might even show up at a few of her book signings! Go to her site to find out more. But first read my review of her book (which I also read back in the early 70s). The review is at http://hippy.com/alicia.htm

I think more than ever we need to spread information about alternative lifestyles to the overbearing, addictive rat-race. Earth Day is coming and it is a time for us to remind ourselves that we are living in a huge fantastic garden that we must care for or it will die.

I hope that more hippies of my generation will come forward and share the knowledge they have accumulated over the decades so we can all learn how to live more harmoniously.

Paz,
Skip