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DEAR ABBY: For the past eight years, my son has been seeing “Tanya” and, according to him, she spends a lot. I’m concerned about it.
Because of the pandemic, Tanya got furloughed from her employer. She lives in an apartment but has all deliveries sent to OUR home address. Since the pandemic, we are receiving many more packages for her every day from online stores. Our son has mentioned to us that she has huge credit card bills. I’m worried if these two get more serious (marriage), it will cause problems in the future.
I’m tempted to say something to Tanya about the sudden increase in deliveries. Or should I keep quiet? We tell our son, but he always has no comment. Some days it’s like Christmas Day for packages.
PERPLEXED DAD IN CALIFORNIA

DEAR DAD: Your son and Tanya are adults. If anyone addresses her spending, it should be your son. I don’t advise saying anything to Tanya because it’s sure to be resented and could possibly cause a rift between you and your son. Talk to him one more time and explain your concern that his girlfriend is showing symptoms of being a spendaholic. But after that, drop it because the problem will be his, not yours, to solve.

DEAR ABBY: I’m a man living in a small town, and I frequent a local cafe for breakfast. The waitress who serves me each morning, “Rita,” does a terrific job, and all of my needs are met. In turn, I leave her a generous tip.
Abby, despite exchanging small talk during coffee refills, Rita snubs me when our paths cross outside the diner. She will look directly at me, turn her head and offer no greeting.
I’m not seeking a relationship with her. In the cafe, I always sit alone and enjoy reading my newspaper while I eat my breakfast and drink my coffee. It just bothers me that she won’t offer a simple, civil greeting outside the diner. Would I be justified in reducing the amount of the tip because of her behavior?
PUZZLED PATRON IN INDIANA

DEAR PATRON: Have you tried speaking up and saying hello to her? I don’t know Rita. She may be unfriendly or prefer to draw a firm line between her professional life and her personal one. You stated that you tip her generously because of the terrific service she gives you. If that’s true, I don’t think she should be punished for keeping her distance when she’s not at the restaurant.

DEAR ABBY: My husband plays a video golf game most of the time while we watch TV together. If I ask him an occasional question or want to show him something, he says I am interrupting him and I need to wait until he takes his golf shot.
It’s very frustrating to always be put on hold when we are together. I think communication is more important than a game. I’m tired of always having to wait, so I just say, “Never mind.” Any suggestions?
OUT OF THE GAME

DEAR OUT: Just saying “never mind” doesn’t get your message across. The next time it happens, TELL your husband how you feel about coming in second place behind his toy, because you don’t “interrupt” often and you are more important than his video golf game.
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Good advice for everyone — teens to seniors — is in “The Anger in All of Us and How to Deal With It.” To order, send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 to: Dear Abby, Anger Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447.

Mama G’s bar owner Keith Leonard has drawn to his past to help in the present and propel his bar into the future.
Leonard, whose Morgan City bar will celebrate 20 years in business in December, has been shut down after it could not operate under Gov. John Bel Edwards’ mandate issued in July limiting bars to curbside or delivery service.
It was another blow in an already tough time as earlier this year in March, bars had been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic before being allowed to reopen under limited capacity.
During that first closure however, Leonard elected to install a full-service kitchen.
While he isn’t open for good, Leonard — a former caterer — started serving to-go meals one night per week, twice a month, and soon will be expanding it further. The move to sell to-go meals was to help alleviate fixed costs the business still incurs while being closed and to help his workers.
“The cost to stay closed is $4,000 a month out of my pocket, regardless if I do any sales or not, and that is encompassing rent, utilities, garbage,” Leonard said Friday. “Those kinds of things you can’t just stop.”
Beginning this week, Leonard will be serving a to-go meal weekly on one night per week, typically on Thursdays.
“Depending on the demand of what we see from the people, those things could only in-crease,” he said.
So far, things have been successful as more than 110 dinners have been sold at the last two nights curbside service was held.
“This was our fourth week of doing it, and the support has been overwhelming, by the way. It’s apparent people don’t like to cook,” Leonard laughed.
The menu and dates of curbside meals are announced via Mama G’s Facebook page, and they try to get as many orders taken in advance of the meal night so they can pinpoint the amount of supplies needed.
Those interested in ordering should text the business or email them, and they can pay in advance through Venmo or PayPal or pay onsite when they pick up their meal. Contact and email information is listed when the different meal nights are announced.
While Leonard said he could open as a restaurant, he said the restraints of doing so dissuaded him.
“The problem I saw with that and allowing people inside the facility is the restraints that they put on you and the time that you have to stay open till is only 11,” he said. “I didn’t find it would be beneficial.”
Wine or a six-pack of beer also is sold during the meal nights.
Leonard said past meals have included pastalaya and blackened chicken and andouille fettucine with a cream veal sauce and a crab cake.
“What I wanted to do is not try to compete with the restaurants who are hurting as well or other bars and come up with a menu that most people would go out of town to try to get something like that,” he said.
In about two weeks, Leonard plans to start selling to-go lunches on Monday through Friday, too.
After restrictions are lifted on bars and things return to normal, Leonard plans to continue to serve meals.

Eighteen new COVID-19 cases locally and one death each in St. Mary and St. Martin were reported for the 48 hours ending at midday Sunday

Ten new cases were reported among St. Mary people, raising the total since the pandemic began to 1,788. The newly reported death brings that total to 72.

Three new cases make St. Martin's pandemic total 1,999. The death reported Sunday raised the toll there to 58.

Assumption had five new cases in the two days for a total of 680. The death toll there remains at 22.

Statewide:

--1,387 new cases for the two days raised the pandemic total to 152,868.

--58 newly reported fatalities raise the state toll to 4,930.

--18 fewer COVID-positive people are in hospitals for a total of 790.

--23 more people are on ventilators for a total of 119.

Claudia Boudreaux, president of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 12182 Auxiliary, and her husband, Bobby Boudreaux, commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 12182 in Patterson, unload a donation for Hurricane Laura evacuees at Cypress Point Fresh Market in Patterson Saturday. The local chapter is collecting donations throughout the day Saturday at the Patterson grocery store that it will deliver to evacuees in hotels in Abbeville as well as serving the evacuees a meal. Any household items or other things such as rope, tarps or small barbecue pits are being accepted, too. Cash donations to buy more supplies are acceptable, as well. For more information or if anyone knows of an evacuee that has any special needs the post can assist with, call Claudia Boudreaux at 337-578-0565 and leave a message.