Cook, pilot flying high with business catering picnics

Eastsider Joy Stewart loves to cook. Her pilot husband, Alex, loves to fly.

They share their passions with gourmet friends and other pilots, going on floatplane picnics. This summer, Joy Stewart combined their talents in another way: launching Northwest Floatplane Picnics. She creates the picnics; Kenmore Air provides the pilot and floatplane.

Her timing was impeccable.

Last year Stewart wrote a story about floatplane picnicking for Bon Appétit magazine. It is in the August issue and features Stewart's specialties such as raspberry lemonade and espresso-chocolate-chip cookies.

The magazine spread has a poignant touch.

Friends pictured include Sandi and Tony Chapman and Scott and Marsha Spengler.

Scott Spengler died in a motorcycle accident in May.

Check Stewart's Web site at www.nwfloatplanepicnics.com.

Travel notes: Think the weather is hot here?

When Bob and Clodagh Ash of Bellevue recently took their 10-year-old granddaughter to Europe, they went underground to find comfortable temperatures.

"The heat was so bad that we toured the salt mines near Salzburg to cool off," said Clodagh.

Granddaughter Emily Gudatis was smitten with "The Sound of Music" scenes from Austria. When she got home, she sat down with her mother to review the movie and point out all the places she'd seen.

However, the scenery and the trip into the salt mine were edged out by something else. Her family overhead Gudatis tell a friend about the trip.

"Her strongest memory," Clodagh said, "was watching granddad count out the pills for him and Grandma each morning."

Well wedded: A recent Seattle Times story featured Clara and Bud Emery, a Federal Way couple celebrating their 72nd wedding anniversary.

Bellevue residents Charley, 93, and Hope Grider, 90, can top that.

They celebrated their 73rd anniversary yesterday with family members and takeout Chinese food.

The Griders married in Kansas in 1929. They left their farm there to grow beans in Colorado and then farm in Eastern Oregon. Nearly 20 years ago they retired to Arizona, then moved to Evergreen Court in Bellevue 1-½ years ago to be close to their only daughter, Nan Humble of Clyde Hill.

The Griders keep active.

This week they toured the Ballard Locks. Charley walks the halls and grounds of the retirement home daily. Hope helps lead exercise classes and ballroom dances.

"If we had dancing every morning instead of exercise class, we'd get more residents participating," she said.

Fame game: Doorbelling keeps 45th Legislative District Rep. Laura Ruderman on her toes — and heels and balls of her feet.

So much so that at 12:43 p.m. Saturday, a large hole opened up in her right shoe while she was visiting constituents.

She figures the shoes were good through 16,000 doorbell visits.

It was a busy week for Ruderman. In Carnation's Lake Marcel neighborhood, she left campaign material at one house. As she came back up on the other side of the street, two young girls were waiting for her — they wanted her autograph.

"That's the first time I've had that happen," she said.

Dig it! Washington Supreme Court Justice Charles Z. Smith spoke at the Griffin Home groundbreaking in Renton last week.

Friends of Youth is adding two foster homes to the boys residential treatment center.

The backdrop to Smith was a photograph of a much younger Smith at a Griffin Home groundbreaking in 1967. Smith then was a King County Superior Court judge.

The facility is also renovating two existing homes as part of a $5.5 million project.

One last grin: The middle-aged man, neatly dressed, drove a sedate sedan through Bellevue.

No one would have paid any attention except for the dog leaning out the window.

The perfectly groomed white poodle must be part punk rocker: The dog's ears were dyed bright orange.

Sherry Grindeland's column runs Thursdays and Saturdays in the Seattle Times Eastside edition. She can be reached at 206-515-5633 or sgrindeland@seattletimes.com.