Survival Kit: Ms. G. on Painting and Vegetarian Bacon

Welcome to Survival Kit, a monthly column interviewing teachers on the seven things they can't live without. In this edition, MSMHS substitute teacher Ms. Gontarsky talked with Current reporter Scarlett Colbath about painting, Spotify, and and vegetarian bacon. Here's their conversation, lightly edited for clarity.

1. Painting Supplies

One thing that I absolutely cannot live without is my painting supplies. I love to paint, whether that's acrylics, oils, furniture, canvas — literally anything that can be painted. So, painting supplies, brushes, everything.

2. Her Laptop

I love to do graphic design work and marketing, and I can’t do that without my laptop. I don't like to be on my laptop all the time, because it makes me feel inactive, but I love to do stuff on it. I’m always designing stuff, whether it's through Canva, planning out content, or editing videos.

3. Spotify

I cannot live without Spotify. I love to listen to Louis Armstrong, Billy Joel, and Taylor Swift — shoutout to her newest album! She’s really good! All 31 songs — I literally love them. I took the time and sat down this weekend to listen to them all. I really like “Down Bad,” but I also love “The Prophecy.” I was just listening to it, and it’s been stuck in my head all morning — I love it. That’s probably going to change next week, and I’ll have a new favorite. 

4. Antique Furniture — And the Supplies to Save Them

Another thing that I cannot live without is antique furniture. I am obsessed with any piece of furniture that has a history. I love to know its story; I love to know what it's been through, how old it is, and the imperfections that make it more beautiful. There’s nothing like a piece of furniture with character. Something historic with a story reminds you of the people who used it before you.

Scarlett: When you buy it, do you like to ask about its history?

Ms. G: Yes, all of the time. Sometimes people say “Oh I don’t know” or “I got it from a flea market,” but if someone knows the history, I’ll write it all down and I’ll absolutely keep note of it.

Scarlett: Do you refurbish them or do you usually leave them as is?

Ms. G: It really depends on the condition it's in. If it's in awful condition, I’ll kind of be forced to refurbish it in some way. If it's in good condition, I’ll usually just keep it at it and just either sand it and reseal it or stain it. I love antique furniture and the supplies I use to save them.

5. Journaling

I love to journal my thoughts every day. Sometimes, if I’m going through a problem, it really helps to write it down and reread everything and get a new perspective, to see if there’s a different way I can handle a problem or solution. I definitely need a journal because I need to write things down. 

6. Vegetarian Bacon

I’m a vegetarian, so I eat this specific vegetarian bacon, and I love that bacon on an egg sandwich. It's the best thing in the world, especially if it's on this specific bread. It’s really soft; it’s really fluffy. I have it with eggs and vegetarian bacon, literally have it for every meal if I can. That’s a little obsessive, but I at least have it once a day, 100%.

7. Animals

Another thing that I feel like I definitely cannot live without is animals. I have a dog, who I just adore, but just any sort of dog, puppy, or animal. I make sure all the products I use like makeup and everything are cruelty-free, so I really try to help animals whenever I can.

Thanks for reading Survival Kit, a publication of The Current.

-Scarlet Colbath, Staff Reporter for The Current