Category: Life in the United States
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A Somewhat Stressful Monday in Orlando
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in ACX, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Audible, Brandon Padilla, Bryan Haddock, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Life in Central Florida, Life in Florida, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Life in the United States, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A StoryMonday, November 10, 2025, Orlando, Florida Hi, everyone. It’s Monday afternoon here in Central Florida, and I’ll be honest—it’s been a bit of a nerve-wracking day. Earlier, I had to complete a mandatory phone interview with Florida’s Department of Children and Families (DCF) to qualify for SNAP benefits—what most folks still call “food stamps.” I…
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The Hardcover Arrives: A Day of Memory and Milestones
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Beatriz Diaz-Granados, Books, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Central Florida, Life in Florida, Life in Madison (NH), Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Life in the United States, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: CodaFriday, October 17, 2025 – Orlando, Florida Today, something quietly extraordinary happened. My author’s copy of Reunion: Coda—the new hardcover edition—arrived early. It was printed in Illinois, shipped from Hebron, Kentucky, and delivered today, of all days: my late mother’s 97th birthday, and the one-year anniversary of my departure from New Hampshire. I hadn’t expected…
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Why I’m Focusing on Writing – For the Moment….
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Midday, Thursday, October 9, 2025, Orlando, Florida I’ve decided to refocus this blog—A Certain Point of View, Too—on my writing and creative journey. Not because politics have stopped mattering, but because these are troubled times, and I find myself craving emotional clarity more than commentary. There’s enough noise out there. What I need right now…
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12 Months of Change: A Writer’s Reflection on Life and Publication
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Books, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Madison (NH), Life in Miami….Again, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Life in South Florida, Life in the Tampa Bay area, Life in the United States, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, UncategorizedMidday / Early Afternoon, Tuesday, July 1, 2025 – Miami, Florida“Time is passing: not leaden steppingBut sprinting on winged feet,Quick silver slipping by.” — Richard L. Ratliff It’s difficult to grasp, here on this sweltering South Florida afternoon, that another July has arrived. A year ago, my life looked completely different—geographically, emotionally, and in terms…
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Tempus Fugit: Recalling the Early Summer of 1975
Afternoon, Sunday, June 8, 2025, Miami, Florida I was 12 in the summer of 1975. I can’t say I had a terrible childhood; I lived in a nice house in Westchester (an unincorporated neighborhood in the Greater Miami metro area) with my widowed mother; a house, needless to say, that had a more placid, stable…
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The Sixth of June…Now, Then, and Again…
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, D-Day (June 6, 1944), Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Madison (NH), Life in Miami (1972-2016), Life in Miami….Again, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Life in South Florida, Life in the Tampa Bay area, Life in the United States, Music, Reunion Duology, Reunion: Coda, Summer 2024, Summer 2025, Summer in Florida, The D-Day DarlingsMidday/Early Afternoon, Friday, June 6, 2025, Miami, Florida The weather system that brought that rainy opening to meteorological summer earlier this week has moved on, and the Florida Travel Bureau can rest easy because it’s sunny, clear, and hot enough to go to the beach. (Ah, bikini weather!) I’d argue, though, that – climate change…
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Echoes of Memory: Nostalgia, Myth, and the Stories We Tell
Midday/Early Afternoon, Monday, June 2, 2025, Miami, Florida Earlier this morning, I came across a charming Facebook post from an old friend from my Amazon reviewing days. She’s a bit older than I am—by about a decade—and enjoying her retirement, sharing delightful glimpses into her daily life in rural Midwest America. Her posts often feel…
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My Novelist’s Odyssey: Getting Closer to the Finish Line
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in Amazon, Books, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Miami….Again, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Life in the Tampa Bay area, Life in the United States, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Writing a First Novel, Writing as a CraftLate Morning, Tuesday, March 4, 2025, Miami, Florida Hi, everyone. It’s a warm yet overcast early spring day here in the heart of Miami-Dade County. The temperature is a pleasant 77°F (25°C) under mostly cloudy skies, with just enough humidity at 65% to remind you that you’re in South Florida. The breeze, blowing from the…
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Musings & Thoughts for Friday, February 16, 2024, or: Yep…Another Reunion: Coda Progress Update!
Late Morning/Midday, Friday, February 16, 2024, Madison, New Hampshire Hi, everyone. It’s a chilly but gorgeous late morning here in Eidelweiss, the district of Madison where I’ve lived for just over two months. Currently, the temperature is 28°F (-2°C) under partly cloudy conditions. With the wind blowing from the northwest at 11 MPH (18 Km/H)…
A Certain Point of View, Too 