Mingling with the power ladies who lunch

We’ve all received invitations we were excited to get, but I’ve got to tell you, when my friend Susan Pomepo asked me to the First Lady’s Luncheon in Washington, D.C., I did a happy dance and then some.

I felt so lucky! Susan has approximately 1 billion friends, and she picked me. She e-mailed the invitation and “wondered if I would like to and would I be able to come.” Well, yes, I would, and YES, I would, even if I had to walk.

It was the Congressional Club’s 105th First Lady’s Luncheon on May 4. The theme was “A New Direction.” The club’s purpose is to provide a nonpartisan setting for friendships among wives (now spouses) of the House and Senate members during their tenure in Washington. Club members also are spouses of the Supreme Court justices and spouses of the President’s Cabinet members. Susan is the wife of Mike Pompeo, director of the CIA. They’re both Wichitans, and say they always will be.

What a trip! I didn’t get to meet first lady Melania Trump or Karen Pence, wife of the vice president, but I did get to see them and did meet a lot of wonderful, friendly women.

The evening before the luncheon, I attended a reception at the Library of Congress. Susan and Mike weren’t back from their travels, but I thought, “Heck, I’m going anyway.”

I met people from all over our country and had a nice time, but the highlight was meeting and speaking briefly to Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. Yes, his eyes are that blue.

His wife, Janna, was at the reception while her husband was across the street dealing with the health care bill. We were informed he wouldn’t be attending. She called him, then explained that yes, he would be.

When he got there, he said, “I’m a little busy, but I’m here because I want to stay married.”

With a little finagling, I managed to get a quick photo with him. All those years attending fashion week in New York fighting a crowd of fashion writers for a spot to get a quote or a photo paid off.

The next time you’re in Washington, D.C., stop in at the Library of Congress building. It is breathtaking.

The next day, I donned my new aqua suit, was picked up by Susan – who showed no sign of jet lag – and away we went to the Washington Hilton. It was so windy that my good hair day was wasted, but no one was looking at me – we were all waiting to see Melania.

The woman is beautiful. Period. She welcomed everyone very warmly. I have to say we were disappointed in the basic silk pantsuit she wore with a plain top. She left early to go to New York. Susan and I wondered whether maybe it was her traveling outfit. She was so perfect on the day of her husband’s inauguration, I guess we expected more. But she was charming.

After the luncheon, Susan and I went to the Newseum, a museum dealing with the news business. If you go, allow a lot of time. On the outside of the building, they have front pages from all over the country. There was The Wichita Eagle.

The next day, still showing no sign of fatigue, Susan took me on the most wonderful tour of CIA headquarters with our amazing guide Toni Hiley. She is the CIA Museum director at the Center for the Study of Intelligence. The woman is a walking, talking encyclopedia.

Being a reporter, I asked her plenty of questions. Several she answered with “That’s classified.” The whole experience was fascinating and gave me an even greater appreciation for the men and women of the CIA.

I remembered the feeling from being there before. Going to Washington, D.C., makes you realize that regardless of the political climate, this is a country with a great history and one that reminds you to count your blessings.

It was a trip I will never forget and can’t thank my friend enough for inviting me.

Guess I’ll see whether she wants to come to the River Festival.

This story was originally published May 11, 2017 at 9:18 PM with the headline "Mingling with the power ladies who lunch."