Hi Deb, I wouldn't give up on your starter yet. It's not surprising that your starter didn't rise again after you stirred it down, unless you fed it again at that point. The normal feeding routine for our starter calls for feeding twice a day when you're maintaining it at room temperature, and at least once a week when you store it in the refrigerator. Typically your starter will gradually rise up over the course of several hours after you feed it, and eventually reach a peak and hover there for a bit. It's considered "ripe" when it's at that peak, or just beginning to fall. Once it begins to fall it will continue to do so until it eventually returns to the level it was right after you fed it, but the consistency is likely to be much thinner, with perhaps some frothy bubbles on top. Ideally, to keep your starter vigorous when you're maintaining it at room temperature, you'll want to feed it when it's ripe, rather than waiting until it has fallen. Look for your starter to double in size within about 6-8 hours, and to have a pleasant aroma, as good signs that it's ready to start baking bread with once again. It may take a few days of twice a day feedings for the aroma to improve, but I bet it will get there. 

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