: I may as well get the Veritas Sharpening System, which I've also
: coveted,(and small-blade holder for the spokeshave) so I can sharpen my
: plane correctly.

Yow! Patsy, that sharpening system is $500! You could do everthing you need with a few water stones, a honing guide (aka roller) and Silicon Carbide paper. I have two (Norton) combination stones that give me 8000, 4000, 1000 and 500 grits. My blades will shave the hair off my forearm. I recently added a hand cranked felt buffing wheel to the kit (thanks Roy)... Simple, straightforward and low tech.

The main thing is to have fun Patsy. Keep us posted on how it's going.