Donate to maintain JoAnn Page Leather Studio.

After the killing of Robert Kennedy in Los Angeles, I was very disturbed especially since I had watched the assassination of his brother John F. and I began to think of traveling to leave the Los Angeles area.

I had worked as a legal secretary part-time during my college years and I formed a plan to contact a friend in IBIZA /SPAIN who invited me to visit. It was the first time in my life that I had left my family and friends. I was inspired by the difficult times we live in and hoped to find a peaceful place to work and live. At first, the language was a problem. I learned to buy and talk about the things in the market, I met someone who had lived in a cave in Morocco and spoke English. Later married him and we found an old house and learned how to put electricity poles and simple wiring in the house. It was a great adventure for both of us. Very physical. There were few foreigners there at that time. (circa 1976 I think).

After we brought water to the house we had a garden full of vegetables to feed us. We used kerosene lamps and had limited electricity because we worked slowly.

During those years, my significant accomplishments were:

• I learned to speak Spanish all the time.

• Get us to new places and adventures.

• Bought a car in Barcelona.

I did not realize it at the time but I was living my dream. I began my "Cosas de Cuero" business there in Ibiza at 37 Calle Mayor on the port along with other artisans from Europe. I made bread in a beehive oven every Sunday. I spent 14 1/2 years living this lifestyle which I mistakenly criticized for being too behind but I was wrong, now I know how perfect it was.

I learned to make purses and sandals from 2 brothers from Florida who sailed to Ibiza and then taught us how to make really lovely leather items. They trustingly took long vacations on their boat and left the business to us. We thrived on this and just worked and enjoyed all the blocked street fiestas that were plenty in Spain then.

We never got rich but had so many good times, I left Ibiza in 1984 to return to California and care for my ailing mother. Fourteen years of a glorious adventure. All of my "vacations" were spent traveling in Spain. I never regretted returning to the USA since that is where my family is and always will be. I missed them terribly and I felt that they probably had forgotten me. After all, fifteen years is like a lifetime.

I have not counted but I have had over 50 years with my leather business and I still love making the purses and belts and small things that I give away to those who have helped me. There is no escaping the fact that the pandemic and its recovery have been especially difficult for me. No family to help me in any way at all. I have been forced to learn to be flexible and I see it is the only WAY.

Friends have their challenges with their circle of relatives and the government is demanding the paperwork regardless of our situations. I am the only one working at my studio making the purses and repairing them. I work 7 days a week and am happy that I can work and grateful that I am healthy and strong still at 84.