Too many herbs and spices just confuse the palate. I've only used the soupmaker once and I put in some chicken as well as veg. I was surprised at how good it turned out. The down side is that it takes longer to wash it than it does to cook the soup!
I love all veg. I bought a soup maker the other day. You just throw in the ingredients and water and press a button. It does a smooth or chunky soup in 20 minutes. I wish I'd bought it sooner.
Trix... my daughter has a book about ghosts and the other day I read a story about "Ocean Born Mary." She was brought up in New Hampshire.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_Born_Mary
Trix.... it's very likely to be that. Even though you are not consciously thinking about it.... an underlying worry niggles away at the back of your mind. I know that's how it works with me.