Hello, I'm Kerstin Hanson. I was born in the sixties in Marquette Michigan, was raised in Minnesota, and 'grew up' after marrying and moving to North Carolina. The personal essentials are that I am married to a sensational person, and we haved raised two lovely persons.

The majority of my working life I have made a living writing, recording, and performing music. Five years ago, I decided to trade smoky clubs for an office and I went to class to earn my Real Estate License. Although I earn a living as an Associate Broker at my firm, I still perform occasionally, although now I perform with my son. Early this year I composed and recorded the music for an original play called "Yesterday's News", and then served as the musical director for the production.

My interests are many and varied. I am blessed with a wonderful group of friends and family, and I spend as much time as my life allows nurturing and enjoying those bonds. Whether it's around a bonfire, at a gallery crawl, a pub, the symphony or a U2 concert; I enjoy all of those moments and sharing those experiences. It's important to me to make connections with people and with life - the connections are my lighthouses as I navigate my life. Journaling, reading, and making jewelry also fill my time when I feel needful of solitude. I love to cook, my specialties include salsas and salads. To indulge the sassy girl inside, I bartend a couple of nights a week at an Irish Pub.

The long and short of it is that I can't sit still well, I often have more interests than time, and can be demanding with high expectations. The ride is often comparable to four-wheeling, but I think it's more fun like that. Welcome to my world.

My passion is ...

finding creative ways to understand myself and the world around me - through my music, writing, and other's art.

I know too much about ...

trying to sleep in when my alarm is ringing, the joy and pain of relationships, and hockey - for a girl that lives in North Carolina.

My parents always told me ...

to shut the door; you're letting the heat or air out/in!!!

My childhood ambition ...

to be a famous singer and have Leif Garrett fall madly in love with me.

My favorite memory ...

my Dad telling my sister and I in Perkins after church how birds mated. It still makes me laugh - he was wrong!

Why I write ...

for many reasons: my job entails plenty of correspondence via paper and email, I journal, and write personal letters to friends and family.

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

simultaeneously: The South Beach Diet, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, and a new cookbook. I try to listen daily to "The Story" on NPR, and my current favorite XM Satellite radio station is 'Hear Music'.

My first job ...

was waitressing at 'Country Kitchen'.

My best moment ...

privately, giving birth to my children and publicly winning (along with Shannon Campbell) 2002 Cape Fear Songwriter(s) of the year.

My inspiration ...

I think that my inspiration comes from observing my children and how they interpret and undertake challenges in their lives.

Food & Drink > Cooking Meats How to cook ribs

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Oh, summer's guilt and pleasure, the smell of something cooking on the grill, soon to be shared and enjoyed with family and friends. There are the staples of summer, fresh sweet corn, sweet ripe tomatos off the vine, mouth wateringly sweet strawberries and watermelon, lemonade, and of course, barbequed ribs. Over time, I have come to learn that there is an art and science to succulent meaty ribs with a crunch on the outside. There are many processes to achieve this, but I can say for sure that I know now the finer points in the preparation of this fine summer feast.

My husband and I h...

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