As the J. M. W. Turner exhibit winds down (it ends May 30), the Dallas Museum of Art is continuing to present early nineteenth-century themed events. Four of Jane Austen's novels put to film -- Emma, Persuasion, Sense and Sensibility, and Pride and Prejudice -- will be shown in the theater.

• Sat, May 17, 11:30 a.m. Emma (1996, starring Gwyneth Paltrow)
• Sat, May 17, 3 p.m. Persuasion (1995)
• Sun, May 18, 11:30 a.m. Sense and Sensibility (1995, starring Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet)
• Sun, May 18, 3 p.m. Pride and Prejudice (1940, starring Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier)

Admission to the Jane Austen film festival is free with general admission to the museum.

The Eta Aquarids meteor shower is predicted to be strong this year. This meteor shower is formed of dust from Halley's Comet and the meteors are brighter than most. Watch for it in the eastern sky May 4-7. The best viewing time is just before the sky lightens in the morning.

Also, see nebulae, star clusters, planets, moons, and interesting happenings in the night sky this Saturday night with the members of the Fort Worth Astronomical Society. Society members bring their telescopes to the parking lot north of the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History and allow the public to view the night sky. Admission is free. The star party starts after dusk when the sky is dark enough to see the stars.

Bobby Flay will be in Southlake to sign copies of his new book, Bobby Flay's Grill It! His latest cookbook contains 150 new recipes for the grill, including some vegetarian ones. He'll be at the Williams-Sonoma in Southlake (172 State Street) on Wednesday, May 7 from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m.

...or so says Forbes magazine. The article mentions that our housing values and unemployment rates are holding steady, but that's right now. What will keep us staying strong during a recession? It's the variety of industries based here that have products or services that people won't cut back on if times get tough. As an example, we all have to eat, so food corporations are considered recession-proof (some would say recession-resistant).

Photo (c) Heather Carr, licensed to About.com

Mother's Day is coming up and it's a holiday that takes a little planning to really pull off. One thing that requires very little planning is the May Flowers festival at the Dallas Arboretum. It runs the whole month of May. There's live music and horse-drawn wagon rides every day and weekends have even more to do.

It's one of the most popular holidays for dining out, so you might want to make your reservations. If you want to save a little money, you could always try the home-cooked route. Danilo Alfaro has put together an easy Mother's Day brunch menu. Even if you don't want to go that route, stop by and look at those pictures. Yum.

Cinco de Mayo is technically on Monday, but most of the block parties, parades, and celebrations are happening on Saturday. I've collected a list of Cinco de Mayo celebrations from around the Dallas area and I think there's at least one big one near everybody. The largest party is on Sunday at Texas Stadium and is sponsored by Univision and others.

I drove by Trinity Park today to check on the preparations for MayFest. It's looking good. MayFest is an enormous, four-day festival that draws in over 200,000 visitors. Live music, competitions, and shows are held on seven stages. Of course, there's lots of food and beverages.

MayFest is held in Trinity Park, along the banks of the Trinity River, in the Fort Worth Cultural District. MayFest starts on Thursday, May 1 and continues through Sunday. To get there, take the TRE to the Fort Worth ITC station and catch the Route 7 bus to Trinity Park. Or, if you prefer to drive, park at Farrington Field (take I-30 west from Dallas, exit University Drive in Fort Worth, go left and Trinity Park will on your right. Farrington Field is on the right after Trinity Park.) and walk to Trinity Park for $5. Also, you could park at TCU, north of the stadium, for free and catch the free shuttle to MayFest.

The Dallas Museum of Art is throwing a grand opening party for their new Center for Creative Connections -- an interactive learning environment which enables everyone to connect with art. For two days, artists, poets, dancers, storytellers, and musicians will entertain and educate. Assist artist Brad Tucker install an art project and help decorate it. Competitions, from art to language, will test teams creative and mental abilities. Arturo, the museum's mascot, and Bullseye the Target dog will be around and posing for photos. The grand opening party is on May 3, 11 a.m.-midnight, and May 4, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is free and tickets to the J. M. W. Turner exhibit will be half-price those days ($9).

The Dallas Wine and Food Festival starts tomorrow with an evening of food, wine, and a movie about wine, all at the Angelika Film Center at Mockingbird Station. Chef Richard Chamberlain has prepared an extraordinary feast paired with wines chosen to bring out the flavors of the dishes. After the meal, guests will view a private screening of the movie "Sideways". The dinner starts at 6:30 p.m. and costs $65,including the movie ticket. The movie without the dinner costs $9.

The Dallas Wine and Food Festival continues through Sunday at various locations around Dallas. Highlights include an all-Texas dinner -- with ingredients locally sourced and beverages produced by Texas wineries, breweries, and distilleries -- seminars, tastings, and the results of the Rising Star Chef's Contest (where guests get to eat the results).

Admission to the exhibits at the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame is free on Friday, April 25 from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. The Cowgirl Museum was created to tell the story of women of the American West through photographs, artifacts, and interactive exhibits.The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History is also being housed at the Cowgirl Museum until their new building is complete across the street. Their Explorazone, Hands On Studio, KidSpace, and Preview Center will be open.