Lignite is abuzz with centennial preparation, lawn mowers mowing, paint brushes brushing, hammers hammering, chickens clucking, and whatever other “ing” thing you can think of is running rampant around this little town.

This celebration has been in the works for some time now, roughly 100 years, but there is always all those last minute details that creep up on you like ill fitting second hand pre-streaked thrift store underwear. Everyone is busy, busy, busy so if you’re rolling into town for the celebration be sure to thank those that made it possible.

The centennial committee has a lot of activities planned for the weekend, but has also left ample time for general chit chat, boisterous banter, and whatever other type of jaw wagging you prefer to partake in.

As you catch up with old friends keep in mind that nobody likes long boring stories, so if your stories are boring and long either shorten them or spice them up a bit. Nobody will know if you take a few liberties with your life story and 9 out of 11 people surveyed said they prefer a spiced up story to a boring one.

Feel free to be liberal with the spice but remember what you’re sprinkling around so you can keep your story straight, not that anyone’s listening. Most are going to be too weak to listen due to the starvation diet they put themselves on in preparation for this gathering.

Gaunt and listless they’ll shuffle around sipping diet water and nibbling on reduced calorie celery sticks nauseous from holding in their belly and grumpy from wearing buttocks accentuating underwear on a hot humid day. Eye’s blood shot from the misapplication of spray on insta-tan and red irritated patches of skin where unwanted hair was ripped mercilessly away.

All this in hopes of hearing one old soul say, “Well, my, my you haven’t changed a bit.”

The fact is that most all of us have changed quite a bit, some a little less on top and a little more on the bottom, some are parents, some are grandparents, some are retired, some were fired, some have come from far away, and some decided to stay.

Lignite is 100 years old and has been through many changes of its own, but some things never change, and with any luck never will. It’s still a small upstate North Dakota town with a big heart, beautiful sunsets, wonderful people, and the occasional mosquito.

I’m looking forward to the centennial celebration and having the opportunity to visit with old friends, tell old stories about past times, and new stories of where life has taken us.

During your stay in Lignite be sure to check out all the merchandise the centennial committee has to offer. Hats, shirts, buttons, Olive Johnson’s Cook Book, Lignite History Book, and many more things to commemorate the occasion.

Also be sure to take in the various activities going on; style show, bingo, fun run/walk, rock climbing wall, wacky Olympics, softball, golf, parade, street dance, and general shenanigan’s for those more interested in disorganized activities.

Happy 4th of July, may your potato salad always be cold and your buttocks accentuating underwear hot.