Welcome from Nevada! Good for you for taking up quilting during retirement. You'll find it so fulfilling, and with more time to work on it, you'll catch up fast. Don't worry about being too far away to take classes. There are tons of classes on the internet (some of them free), plus lots and lots of tutorials (free), and lots of videos on U-Tube (also free) on almost anything you want to do. There are tutorials on this Blog site (free), so take advantage of them. Books can be great as well, and I really like the ones with DVD's with them so you can see what the instructor is doing. So there's lots of help out there without ever stepping foot in a classroom. And don't forget about the Quilting Board. The members here are a wonderful source of assistance and knowledge, so make use of it, don't be shy. See how much help you've just acquired!
Warmest welcome!