Welcome from NM. Retirement is wonderful. I'm a retired middle school teacher-taught in Texas for 20 years. I don't own a Bernina and you said you aren't especially interested in embroidery but friends I quilt with that have Berninas say that you can't always upgrade, upload, update the embroidery designs-the newer ones to an older machine. Don't know exactly why not but it would be something I would check into before buying. With that said, my friends do love their Berninas.