Allyson Whipple

Category: Lists

The Best of It: Mid-March Edition
1. Phantom of the Opera with my best friends
2. Teaching about haiku at the Word Exchange event at Protagonist Cafe
3. Getting to read haiku at Ben Gaa’s book launch
4. Checking out the fish fry at Rollo-Calcaterra American Legion Post 15
5. Getting to spend the afternoon at the launch for Jim Brubaker’s book Dappled in Shadows
March 15, 2026
The Best of It: Mid-February Edition
1. Running around Taste of Soulard with my favorite people
2. Walking with Maybelle in the Pet Parade
3. Attending my first Superbowl Party in over a decade
4. The occasional good hair day when growing out a pixie cut
5. Getting a table for the Stew’s Valentine’s Day dinner
February 15, 2026
The Best of It: Start of the Year Edition

1. Closing 2025 with the Stew Year’s Eve dinner and a party hosted by two of my favorite people.

2. 12th Night in Soulard (always)

3. The engagement party my neighbors hosted for us.

4. Seeing Nate Bargatze perform downtown.

5. Getting to serve as the Poetry Pea YouTube editor for January.

January 31, 2026
The Best of It: Summer in St. Louis Edition
1. Bastille Day!
2. Ice cream at Ices Plain & Fancy and Clementine’s
3. Calhoun County peaches (Technically Illinois, but close enough)
4. The chicken panko burger on the Stew’s summer menu
5. That almost every neighborhood has a Concerts in the Park series
July 16, 2025
The Best of It: Late May Edition
1. Being honored with a 2025 Soulard Star award at this year’s membership party.
2. The success of this year’s rummage sale.
3. It’s iced tea season.
4. The Roaring exhibition currently running at the St. Louis Art Museum.
5. Getting to show Texas friends around the neighborhood.
May 21, 2025
The Best of It: End of February Edition
1. Attending the special Valentine’s Day dinner at Stew’s
2. The incredible offerings at this year’s Taste of Soulard
3. Maybelle had a great time at the Pet Parade
4. Hosting Mardi Gras breakfast on parade day
5. I had the chance to eat at House of Wong one more time before they closed
March 3, 2025
The Best of It: The Year So Far Edition
1. Getting photo updates of Maybelle’s days at Grateful Pets
2. Finding a copy of Robert Speiss’ A Year’s Speculations on Haiku at a used bookshop
3. Rebuilding our bottle tree, which was destroyed a few days after Christmas
4. Getting a custom outdoor mat for my Pilates studio
5. Finding a new-to-me, high-end kitchen faucet (the one that came with the house was cheap and corroding) for $15 at REFAB
January 23, 2025
The Best of It:Favorite Events of 2024
1. The St. Louis Cardinals home opener
2. The Sarah McLachlan Fumbling Towards Ecstasy 30th anniversary tour
3. The Mariah Carey Christmas tour
4. Hosting the SRG November Social
5. Seeing Steve Earle Perform
December 21, 2024
The Best of It: Favorite Restaurant Meals of 2024
1. Mayfair salad and crab cakes at Sam’s Steak House
2. Huevos Mexicanos at Mariachi’s II
3. Soulard Slinger at Nadine’s Hash House
4. The Bologna at Turkey and the Wolf
5. Peanut Noodles at Stew’s Food & Liquor
December 19, 2024
The Best of It: Thankful Edition
1. I rediscovered my love of reading this year
2. I got back into dancing this year
3. I got through my first year as editor of the Soulard Renaissance, and I have some good plans in place to make next year even better.
4. Next year I get to take over editorship of Frogpond.
5. I connected with a number of tea people this year, and that has been wonderful.
November 28, 2024