Attached Link: Meski's Anatomy of a Wall tutorial

Skiwillgee, I started out in much the same position as yourself nearly two years ago (I think, lose track of time ;) I also tried reading Susan Kitchen's chapter on the material editor and DTE from start to finish and knowing nothing about CG I would just get overloaded. It's an excellent and VERY comprehensive resource and the way I began to find worked with me was to read a bit of it, then mess with one of the tutorials online that included some material editor work (eg www.robinwood.com) then read a bit more of SK's book. Each time I would find mixing the theory with the doing would increase things that little step further. It's been a slow process and I'm still only just getting to grips with some aspects. I'm also going about it back to front as I find the DTE much easier to handle and understand than I do the ME (material editor). Another big influence in my ability to get even half way to what I want to do in texturing is Meski and his tutorials which seem to go right into my way of thinking. The attached link is to his splended 'Anatomy of a Wall' tutorial which I return to time and again and learn a little bit more each time. Short advice? Learn by doing as sackrat said. It's just too much to take in mentally (for me) and after a while I start to find I can fly it more by instinct than rational thought.