Zinnias are particularly prone to powdery mildew when conditions aren't perfect.

Finally, after three weeks, a few more birds visiting the feeders today. Maybe a dozen at most at the time little sparrows and finches, and a few doves passed through the yard. A friend on the other side of town said she has also seen very little interest in the bird feeders this warm winter season.

I've rearranged some of the bags of various types of loose tea and teabags in my kitchen tea cart. The boxes are in one basket, the containers (jars with gaskets, fancy tins, boxes that the tea came in, etc.) are in place, and I made room for this new basket. But I think I actually liked it better while I was waiting to arrange the tea in it, when I dropped the daily mail into it. I'm rethinking how to keep track of all of these types of tea. I don't need to buy any new for a very long time, and I think I'll take a couple of tins to work for a little variety there.

I made a pot of hearty soup for the week, with ground beef, tomatoes, vegetables, kidney beans, mushrooms, some whole wheat penne pasta, red wine, a hint of allspice, and sliced Swiss chard. It smells good and is very pretty.