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Hi Phil,
Welcome to the forums.
The Nikon D5000 is a fine camera as has got very good reviews and in the right hands is capable of taking some fine images, so do not worry about it being dual purpose. This hasn't been done at the expense of the still pictures.
Now as for what equipment you will need for taking close-up shots, there are a number of alternatives. The cheapeat option is purchasing a close up lens that will screw into the filter threads on the lens you have, but sometimes the optical quality of the close up lens isn't that great and therefore the image quality will suffer. The next option is buying an extension tube which by moving the lens further away from the camera body shortens it's focal distance. It has no glass in it so it won't effect the image quality, just the quality of the lens you use with it will do that. The last option is a dedicated wide aperture macro lens with a fixed focal length. These will produce the best quality images, but these lenses can be quite expensive. You may also need a ring flash system, that fits around the lens, to help get sufficient light into the lens when shooting very close to your subject.
Lastly, the Photoshop software is probably the most widely used for editing images, whether it be the full CS4 or the stripped down Elements version. You'll find lots of video tutorials and books available that will guide you through their various functions and how to use them effectively. Otherwise, enrol on a course in photography for the basics on how to use the camera and edit your images. There are many good distance learning courses to choose from too or you could even book a short photography holiday, run by a professional photographer and enjoy 1:1 tutition. You can even take your partner away with you to because they cater for a non-photographer partners too.
Best of luck, but most of all enjoy it!
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