Howdy !

["George Graham" <georgergraham@zzzzzzzzzzz>]

Welcome Brian,
It sounds like you are well on your way to learning how to carve. Your
attitude is great!
Dust is always a concern, so get a good mask that has replaceable
cartridges, and have a fan blowing the dust away at the same time if you
can.
Carving with very sharp chisels and a hammer produces the least amount of
dust, and the fastest removal of alabaster. Grinders are fun, but they send
out huge amounts of dust. Alabaster is perfectly suited for chisel work. I
rarely need to use grinders on alabaster. I use the biggest wood rasp
available to clean up rough chisel work. The dust falls to the floor instead
of floating in the air. Use 40 or 60 grit sandpaper to remove the rasp
marks, and then you are ready to move up through the grits to get a smooth
surface.  As John said, you'll need to use water from 220 grit on.
There is no wrong way to start carving, just do it!
Have fun,
George Graham
http://www.grahamsculpturestudio.com