A couple of Valentine’s Days ago, Charles Adams was participating in an arts festival in the Sunshine State. The sky was dark, a misty rain was falling and a sharp wind was blowing. Adams was cold from his nose to his toes. He longed for Sweet Home, Alabama and the warmth and friendship of earlier Valentine’s Days at his glass studio in Pike County.

“For a lot of years, we had celebrated Valentine’s Day at the glass studio,” Adams said. “We’d invite friends and neighbors to stop in for teacakes and coffee. We’d sit around and swap stories, mainly about courtships – how people met, their weddings. We’d laugh and have a good time together. It was a special way to spend Valentine’s Day – looking back.”

But Adams started spending the weekend of Valentine’s Day at art shows and might still be doing so except for that cold, windy day in the Sunshine State.

“I came home and told Mary that, from then on, I’d be at home with my feet to the fire on Valentine’s Day,” Adams said.

But, being the social creature that he is, Adams decided it was time to bring back the Valentine’s Day party at Adams’ Glass Studio.

“For a long time the Valentine’s party was a tradition but, we’ve not been having the party long enough this time to call it a tradition, but it is a party and everyone is invited,” Adams said.

Adams, his wife, Mary, and their family will host a two-day, Valentine’s Day party this weekend at Adams Glass Studio on Highway 231 south of Troy, from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday and from 1 until 5 p.m. on Sunday.

“We’ll have teacakes and coffee and we’ll sit around and talk about courtship, marriage, kids and grandkids and maybe the weather. But, we’ll stay away from politics, Adams said, laughing.

At his Valentine’s Day party, Adams always has something going for couples and he has something special planned for this year.

“We’ve given a kiln-fired glass heart to the couple that had been married the longest and something special to the ‘just married’ couple,” he said. “Just something to add fun the party.”

Adams Glass Studio features glass art hearts and papyrus angel cards that make treasured Valentines, stained glass kids for moms and dads and angels for that someone who is an angel. For the not-so-romantic, the studio has Auburn, Alabama and Troy University logo glass art, birdhouses and collectibles.

“We invite everyone to come to our Valentine’s Day party,” Adams said. “And, don’t be in a rush to leave. Come to stay awhile and visit with us and with friends and neighbors.”