Dear Annie: This summer we have been invited to four weddings. Of the four events, three have been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

For years, I tried to grow a decent vegetable garden. It was the high cost of fresh produce -- $3.50 for a few measly, wilted basil leaves; ditto for a pound of somewhat reddish tomatoes or mostly pink strawberries -- that prompted me to try.

TOPEKA – Wednesday, the Kansas Senate Confirmation Oversight Committee approved Gov. Laura Kelly’s nomination of Andrew J. French to a four-year term as a commissioner on the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC). His term will expire March 15, 2024. French succeeds Shari Feist Albrecht who has served on the commission since June 2012.

PREGNANT WOMEN ARE AT HIGHER RISK OF SEVERE COVID-19, CDC SAYS

With the price of beef skyrocketing, chicken is becoming the backbone of the frugal kitchen. And why not? Chicken is much less expensive than beef or pork and useful down to the bones.

Dear Annie: I am shattered and torn apart. My son, who served eight and half years in prison for drugs, was released last Thanksgiving. Within four days of release, “Ray” had a job as a cook, had joined a gym and was working out every day. His life was all positive.

The coronavirus shutdown has flattened multiple industries across America -- everything from airlines and manufacturers to hospitals, retailers, oil and gas producers, and restaurants. Many of the 30 million small and large businesses in the country have reported a 30% reduction in revenues. Amid the carnage, one sector of the economy is thriving like never before in the history of the republic: the government.

What didn't happen in Tulsa last weekend was gratifying and a relief. The protests against racism were overwhelmingly orderly. President Donald Trump's rally also proceeded without serious incident and, notably, without much of an audience.

Dear Annie: Two and a half years ago, while my business was doing well, my marriage of 30+ years wasn't.

Truly, we live in auspicious times.