If you are out and about this weekend, you might want to travel a little and look at the different sights Texas has to offer. Just look at this…

Italy

Friday, November 7, the Italy Gladiators host Itasca at Willis Field. At 7 p.m., the seniors will be honored. Tuesday, November 11, the Lady Gladiators will host Dawson at the dome. JV will begin playing at 5 p.m. and Varsity will play at about 6:30 p.m.

Waco

The “Pampering Purse Project” being hosted by Youth Department of Bush Chapel Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Elm Mott, Texas.

The “Pampering Purse Project” is a great program that takes donated, gently used purses and fills them with items that women of all ages can enjoy. We will be collecting purses in good used condition only. After receiving donated purses, we will then fill the purses with some necessities and distribute to McLennan County Women’s Shelters. With the holidays just around the corner, let’s not forget those who are in need. The Pampering Purse Project will run from November 1, until December 17, 2008; to allow time for putting the purses together and delivery to the local shelters.

On top of the need for gently used purses, we will be needing items to fill the purses. Please feel free to donate any of the items on this list:

• Women’s Socks
• Shampoo
• Combs, Brushes
• Feminine pads/tampons
• Hand Lotion
• Soap
• Coupons for fast food restaurants
• Disposable Ponchos
• Hand Wipes (Individual Packets)
• Pony Tail Holders
• Pocket Calendars
• Chap Stick
• Dental Floss
• Toothbrushes
• Toiletry Holders (toothbrush and soap holders)
• Gloves/Mittens
• Hard Candies
• Small Purse Size Umbrellas

Donations can be dropped off at the Bush Chapel Cumberland Presbyterian Church (Located at 3267 Mazanec Road Elm Mott, Texas) or you can make arrangements to have your donations picked up by contact Aurora Henry at 254-723-2890 or Maggin Lewis at 254-315-0979.

All donations are tax deductable; as Bush Chapel Cumberland Presbyterian Church is a 501(C)3, Non-Profit Organization.

7th Annual Leatherneck 5K Run begins at 8 a.m. (be prepared to register at 7 a.m.) on November 8 across from the Hilton Waco. $15 entry fee. Call 254-855-7575 or email [email protected] for more information. This run benefits H.O.T. Marine Corps League charities.

Waxahachie

Ellis County Veterans Appreciation Day at the Waxahachie Civic Center at 2000 Civic Center Lane.

November 8 at 8 a.m. Honor the men and women of our nation’s armed forces at the countywide tribure for all veterans. It is a multi-generational program that bridges the past with the men and women who are presently serving. We will pay tribute to their sacrifice and service. If you any questions, please contact David Hudgins 972-937-1200 or Perry Giles 972-937-6171.

Waxahachie Trade Days November 8-9 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Located at 2300 W. US Hwy 287.

The Trade Days is a two day monthly event, indoor facility, no admission fee, free parking. Arts/crafts vendors, specialty items, gourmet food items, food concessions. Visit the web site for more information www.waxahachietradedays.com or call Dean at 903-286-0183 or email [email protected].

World War II Re-enactment Weekend November 7-8 from 9 a.m.-11:30 p.m. located in downtown area. This is living history at it’s best. Over 200 participants in 1940’s military and civilian attire will transform downtown Waxahachie into a living museum.

Visitors can view two days of military convoys and static displays. Get up close to a wide assortment of military vehicles. Learn about their equipment, uniforms and weapons. Get a feel for what life was like in a small village on the eve of their liberation.

The weekend starts with a 1940s movie in George Brown Plaza on Friday evening. Relax with the “troops” at the College Street Pub, then take in the show.

The festivities continue Saturday as the “troops” roll into town. Visit the static displays around town. Check out the antique automobiles on the square from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit the special WWII exhibit at the Ellis County Museum. See the troops fed at noon on the “Chowline” in the historical camp. Stroll the “Blackmarket” along Franklin Street. Then take in the “Battle For The Train Depot And Bridge” from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Whether you’re a history buff or looking for a fun family outing this is one event you don’t want to miss.

Friday’s Event Schedule:

• Noon to 1700 Registration, setup, and convoys into downtown. The Command Post will be set up on the corner Of Franklin & College Street.
• 1700 to 1900 Evening meal at the KP truck in the Allied Camp.
• 1730 to 2200 Oktoberfest at the College Street Pub.
• 1900 to 2200 Movie on the Square outside the College Street Pub.
• 2000 to 2200 Axis & Allied night patrols.
• 2300 Taps.

Saturday’s Event Schedule:

• 0800 to Noon Registration.
• 0830 to 0900 Safety inspections by the unit commanders.
• 0900 to 1000 Convoy “Charles” departs to the Veterans Day Ceremony at the Waxahachie Civic Center.
• 1000 to 1100 Convoy “Gary” departs to the Veterans Day Ceremony at the Waxahachie Civic Center.
• 0900 to 1230 Military vehicle static display at the Waxahachie Civic Center.
• 0800 to 1700 “Blackmarket” vendors on the square-Franklin Street.
• 0900 to 1700 Antique vehicle static display around the Ellis County Courthouse.
• Noon to 1500 “Paper & aluminum can drive”.
• 1230 to 1300 Convoy returns to downtown.
• 1230 to 1330 “Chowline” at the Allied Camp.
• 1300 to 1700 Military vehicle static display around the Ellis County Courthouse.
• 1315 to 1345 Unit Commanders meet at the Lumberyard to discuss the “battle plan”.
• 1330 to 1400 Patton’s speech by the Ellis County Courthouse.
• 1400 to 1430 Units move into position for the battle, final safety checks and communications checks. MP’s will direct spectators to the viewing area.
• 1500 to 1600 “The Battle For The Railway Depot”.
• 1600 to 1700 Participants will mingle with the crowd.
• 1700 to 1900 Evening meal at the KP truck in the Allied Camp.

The public is encouraged to join the festivities, mingle with the “soldiers”, and immerse themselves in this “living history” event.

Waxahachie High School Craft Fair November 8, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The Craft Fair is located at the high school. Great for early Christmas shopping. For more details contact Kim Kriegel at 972-617-5928 or email [email protected].

Guitar Pickers Night November 12 6 p.m.-8 p.m. at the 512 N. College St. Acoustic guitarists, as well as banjo, mandolin, base, dulcimers, blues harp players, are welcomed to share their talents (amateur or professional) with fellow musicians and guests each Monday evening in a relaxed and informal setting at the Fivetwelve College Tea House.

Round Rock

Fossil Fest November 8-9. Old Settlers Park, US 79. 3 miles east of I-35, next to Dell Diamond. www.texaspaleo.com/psa/index.html or call 512-657-7581.

San Marcos

Veterans Day Celebration November 11. Hays County Veterans Parade begins at 9 a.m. Downtown. www.toursanmarcos.com or call 512-393-5900 or 888-200-5620.

Vanderpool

Lost Maples Tree Tour November 6, 13 and 20. Learn about the maple trees and their unique niche in the Texas Hill Country. Guided walk along Maple Trail. Lost Maples State natural Area. www.tpwd.state.tx.us call 830-966-3413.

Ideas from Texas Monthly include:

Austin

Austin Lyric Opera Cinderella Rossini’s version of the timeless fairy tale gets a new setting: Candy-colored sets and glamorous chorus girls transport Angelina (whose stepfather is a bankrupted movie mogul trying to marry off his daughters) to the magical land of thirties Hollywood. Robert Tweten, conductor. November 8-16. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m. $20-$175. austinlyricopera.org The Long Center for the Performing Arts, 701 W. Riverside Dr. (512-472-5992).

Dallas

Dallas Institute Festival of Ideas The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture is presenting this inaugural idea exchange as a way to engage Dallasites in dialogues about the issues facing the city and the world. NBC’s presidential historian, Michael Beschloss, will serve as moderator for the morning kickoff before top national experts join local leaders (Mayor Tom Leppert, Dr. Glenn Arbery, Ron Kirk, Marcos Ronquillo, Krys Boyd, and others) in discussions about the future in four specific areas: the environment (New Yorker staff writer Elizabeth Kolbert); American cities and suburbs (New York Times op-ed columnist David Brooks); race, class, and the law (Maya Wiley, the director of the Center for Social Inclusion); and global issues/local impact (New York Times op-ed columnist Nicholas Kristof). November 8. For schedule and prices call or go to dallasinstitute.org. Various locations in the Arts District (214-981-8803 or 214-871-2440).

El Paso

Plaza Theatre November 7: Joe Satriani the rock guitar virtuoso shows off his advanced techniques and is joined by special guest Mountain featuring Leslie West and Corky Laing. At 7:30 p.m. $34-$63.50. November 8: Cristian Castro the pop singer also known as El Gallito Feliz (the Happy Little Rooster) is known for his romantic ballads and his popularity with the tabloids. At 8 p.m. $30-$65. theplazatheatre.org 125 Pioneer Plaza (915-231-1176).

Fort Worth

Bass Performance Hall November 5: k.d. lang the Canadian singer-songwriter with the mellow voice has covered an astonishing range of material during her two-decade career. At 7:30. $51-$80. November 6: Ann Hampton Callaway this alto has composed dozens of songs for television (remember the theme song for The Nanny?) and Broadway. At 7 p.m. $35. (McDavid Studio, 301 E. 5th.) basshall.com 4th and Calhoun (817-212-4280 or 877-212-4280).

Houston

Inprint Brown Reading Series Natasha Trethewey and John Edgar Wideman these acclaimed authors present personal depictions of race and society in their poetry and prose. Trethewey won a 2007 Pulitzer Prize for her third poetry collection, Native Guard, about the first black regiments called into service during the Civil War. Wideman, no slouch himself, has won two PEN/Faulkner Awards for his novels Sent for You Yesterday and Philadelphia Fire, and his memoir, Fatheralong: A Meditation on Fathers and Sons, Race and Society, was a National Book Award finalist. November 10 at 7:30 p.m. $5; free rush tickets for senior citizens and students available at the door. inprinthouston.org Alley Theatre, 615 Texas Ave (713-521-2026).

San Antonio

New World Wine & Food Festival If you’re going to indulge, why not do so at an event that features more than thirty of the nation’s top chefs and some of the most talked about wines on the market. Discover wines both new and old, and savor them with some creative food pairings. November 4-9. For schedule, prices and locations go to nwwff.org. Various locations (210-822-9555).

Lubbock

Museum of Texas Tech University November 8-January 4: Painting the Italian Landscape: Views from the Uffizi traveling from the famed Uffizi Gallery of Florence, Italy, this exhibit of forty paintings illustrates the evolution of landscape painting from the 1500s to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. November 9-December 14: Going to Texas: Five Centuries of Texas Maps chart Texas history through sixty historical maps from the Yana and Marty Davis Collection at Sul Ross State University. Open Tuesday and Wednesday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 1-5 p.m. Free. depts.ttu.edu/museumttu 3301 4th (806-742-1136).

Port Arthur

Museum Of The Gulf Coast The 39,000-square-foot museum has two floors of exhibits, which tell the story of life on the coast and explore such historical themes as the role of Native Americans, European contact, Hispanic legacy, the trauma of the Civil War, and economic and cultural growth. Through January 19: Fifty Years of Rock and Roll posters, handbills, and album covers trace the genre from its grassroots beginnings to its worldwide explosion. From Elvis and Janis to REM and Madonna, many of the greats are represented here. Wannabe rock historians will want to sign up for the History of Rock and Roll film series, beginning November 8. Open Monday-Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 1-5 p.m. General admission $4, senior citizens and college students with ID $3, youths 4-18 $2, 3-and-under and Lamar State College-Port Arthur students and faculty free. museumofthegulfcoast.org 700 Procter (409-982-7000).