Here's an update on my progress. Just after I posted my dilemma yesterday I started getting the dreaded key clicks. The starter wasn't turning over at all anymore.
I pulled the battery and took it into Sears. It's a DieHard with a 100 month warranty. FYI, if you carry it in they will test DieHard's for free; if you drive it in with it installed in your car, they charge $12.99. They also check your starting and alternator system for that $12.99.
Turns out the battery was good so I took some advice from previous posts in this group and while at Sears I bought a 15 mm racheting box wrench with an angled end on it for $9.49. I used a socket wrench with an angled head on it to loosen the starter bolts then removed the power cable and another wire going to the starter. I also unplugged a wire that was going into the transmission so I wouldn't damage it when removing the starter. I then removed the air cleaner box so I would have more room to work around. I then used the newly purchased racheting box end wrench to remove the bolts completely. I suppose it took about 45 minutes to do this. (Hey, I'm slow and it's been awhile since I've wrenched on cars.)
I removed the starter and took off the end cap where the solenoid contacts are located. Both of them had a "step" worn in them (when new they are flat). I found a starter/alternator shop in the Yellow Pages about 10 miles from my house and brought the starter over there. They had the replacement contacts--$2.50 each--and I also sprung for a new plunger ($19.00). In retrospect I probably didn't need the plunger but I was already inside the starter and the guy at the shop said I had used up about 1/2 the thickness of the original copper on the plunger. The plunger was also pitted.
Once home I disassembled the contacts from the starter case being careful to note where the washers and o-ring insulators were located. I inserted the contacts and replaced the bolts, reassembled the o-rings, washers and nuts. Inserted the new plunger then put the access cover back on and tightened it down. This took about 15 minutes.
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Now comes the knuckle-scraping fun time. The biggest problem was getting the spacer plate that goes between the starter and the flywheel housing to stay aligned with the bolt holes when attempting to place the starter into position. Several attempts proved fruitless, the main problem was the wiring harness that runs through the motor mount area kept getting in the way. I got an extra long twist-tie and tied it up as far out of the way as possible--which wasn't far enough. It's been about 45 minutes since I started attempting to re-install the starter. Completely exasperated I decided to teach the darned spacer a lesson. I cleaned off the surface surrounding the holes on both the starter and the spacer area with brake cleaner. Then I took some contact cement, put a light coating on both the starter and the spacer, let dry, and literally glued the spacer onto the starter. Satisfied, I muscled it up into place (there is a centering post to help you locate the starter in the flywheel housing), started the top bolt, started the bottom bolt. Then I used my racheting box end wrench to tighten further. BTW, highly recommended purchase, saved lots of aggravation. Reconnected all wires, replaced the air cleaner box (had bought a new air cleaner element, $5.49), re-installed the battery, and vehicle started fine on the first turn of the key. And the second, and third, and so on.
So, almost 3 hours total time, about $40, including wrench, parts, and air cleaner, and the vehicle is back to working condition. I figure I saved at least $125 vs. having a shop install a remanufactured starter and saved about $50 by replacing the solenoid contacts and plunger vs. replacing the entire starter myself.
Hope this helps anyone in the future with the same problem. Good group, people.