Town and Country Club hosts Table Talk

Here's a question: If you could invite anyone you wanted to lunch, who would it be?

For its annual Table Talk event on Aug. 4 at the Town and Country Club in St. Paul, the Children's Hospital Association invited various people from the community -- from Department of Corrections commissioner Joan Fabian to psychic Echo Bodine to yours truly -- to be "conversationalists" at a midday meal.

While I'm sure they played the part, the conversationalists also seemed to learn a lot about their tablemates. "It's a great thing to get to support women getting together talking about business and their lives," said Martha Rossini Olson of Sweet Martha's.

Of course, it wasn't easy getting a meal in between all of the discussion.

"I love to bake, but I love to talk," said Marjorie Johnson, TV personality and author of "Blue Ribbon Baking." She managed to nibble at her salad and polish off the white chocolate raspberry mousse dessert. "I ate it while Don Shelby was speaking," she said.

WCCO anchor Shelby was master of ceremonies of the event, one of many sponsored by the association, which raises money for programs and services at Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota.

Sara Glassman • 612-673-7177