Troy Wiezbiskie (wiz-bis-key)

I recently moved to Oregon, and am originally from Wisconsin. Part of my decision to move here to the PNW is because I was sick of Wisconsin winters and I am an avid outdoor enthusiast. I love to hike, take long, wandering, meandering walks along the beaches of the Pacific and pick up the flotsum and jetsum that washes ashore. I am a Scorpio, and these are the 4 dominant traits of that astrological sign: 1) I hate liars, 2) I am scrupulously honest (and sometimes the truth hurts, 3) I am extremely loyal, especially to family and friends, and 4) I have a fiery temperament (when cornered…). I have 3 children from one ex-wife (whom I still get along with). I consider myself a parental success because my girls have not gotten pregnant, my son has never been in jail, and none of them have drug or alcohol issues. Don’t ask me how that happened?!? I think I just got lucky. They are all young adults now, all living in Green Bay, WI. 

I am currently partnered with Laura, who happens to be my housemate as well, which works out quite well to my advantage. We have been together for 4 years and I still don’t know how she does it. I usually get wound up 10 minutes before bed-time, to the point where I am almost delirious (Laura loves it!). One of the many things that Laura and I share is our love of the outdoors. We especially love living here in Forest Grove for its small town feel, and that we are at the gateway to so many beautiful places for exploring. Besides hiking, I love to fish & hunt, tinker around with mechanical things & design functional machinery, being read to, watching birds (especially hummingbirds), and I can’t even believe I am saying this… I am becoming a gardener, and actually enjoy it. 

I have often been referred to as multi-talented and a jack of all trades. At Conception Nurseries, where I work, I am head of shipping, receiving, purchasing, facilities, and I still manage to run all the deliveries -- which allows me to see all the stunning landscapes that Oregon has to offer. I am liberally minded, a graduate of the College of Street Knowledge, passionate about civil liberties and the life of the underdog, which is oftentimes where deep wisdom lies. I am gravely concerned about the fate of this nation and the environment. Green Grove has quickly become home for me. I love interacting with my neighbors, especially at night when everyone is out watering or tending to their yards. Helping out and fixing things is something that gives me great satisfaction. And there is always someone who needs help, or something that needs fixing here at Green Grove (and there is nothing wrong with job security). It is an honor and a privilege to help maintain the grounds and facilities at this amazing place.

In closing,some say I have a wry sense of humor, and oftentimes I speak tongue in cheek.

Although I ‘tell it like it is’, all my words and actions are intentional and well thought out.

Laura Fredrickson

Like Troy, I recently moved to Oregon too! How did that happen?!? Well, it happened like this… I was formerly in higher education, and the program that I designed and ran for several years (an experientially based, service-learning program for incoming freshman that focused on leadership development & civic engagement around social & environmental equity issues) came to a close, and I found myself at a professional crossroads...Whether to go back into classroom teaching and research, or to cast a broader net.? After careful climate research (knowing we wanted to get the heck out of the midwest and be in the mountains or at least close by), and making the decision to finally leave higher education (which is quickly becoming just another business rather than a place for exploring ideas and developing true moral character and liberal learning) we headed west. I hatched a plan to move into the public sector in the field of natural resources (my doctorate is in Forestry, and masters in Outdoor Education) and I was fortunate enough to land a job with the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), as the Recreation, Education and Interpretation (REI) Manager. Essentially, I oversee all operations on State Forests that have any iota to do with outdoor recreation, environmental education & interpretation. Although a huge change from the academic setting, I was ready for this change, getting back to the roots of my own education. I am a social scientist by nature and by training, and have a deep curiosity about what makes people tick, especially when they are outdoors and have numinous experiences. 

I love to hike, especially through tall stands of trees and high into alpine meadows. I am a certified yoga instructor, and although I haven’t been teaching since I moved here to Oregon, it is something that I would like to offer here at Green Grove in the future. I have a daily yoga & meditation practice that helps keep me grounded and focused -- especially at work, which is a fairly intense job. 

Besides hiking, I enjoy reading, making art, gardening, and reading out loud to Troy. (Frankly, I think this is a dying artform and I am one for adult reading circles). Gazing up into the night sky is one of my favorite things to do, as it makes me feel totally insignificant and yet a part of something infinitely larger than me and all humankind. Truth be told, those nights are rare, as I am an early-to-bed, early-to-rise kinda gal. 

As a Pisces I tend to be open-minded, not interested in taking sides, and frequently change my mind. I can be taciturn, but it is only because I may be lost in my thoughts or communing with nature or some other sacred dimension. I tend to be fiercely protective of those that I love, and when I love, I love deeply. Although not the best conversationalist, when I speak, I usually have something meaningful to share. I appreciate humor, and am personally awful at telling jokes.

I was the one who stumbled upon Green Grove Cohousing on my drive to work on my very first day, and was immediately energized by the prospect of it. When I was teaching out east, I offered a course which focused on sustainability -- both human and ecological sustainability, and cohousing was one of the models we used as a case study, so i was quite familiar with the concept of cohousing and the formation of sustainable communities. What I like most about Green Grove is that we are here for one another, through thick and thin, and we get to practice working through processes and projects that are sometimes challenging, but bottom line, is the unconditional support we have for one another and a commitment to the process of evolving a community with intention.

Troy is my partner of 4 years, and his sense of humor, his hard work ethic, his passion for his kids and our shared values is what makes me smile when I think about our relationship. We love to laugh and tackle most projects together. We love Guatemala and Jamaica, and hope someday to complete my quest of visiting every national park (I’ve hit quite a few already). We have two adorable cats, Stache’ and Yumi, who are litter mates but you’d never think so because Stache’ is a tuxedo kitty and Yumi is a tortie. They are quite mischievous, especially at night when they throw wild kitty parties.