Hi Sandradee, and welcome from sunny Southern California. I think you'd like a quilt guild. It would give you community, learning opportunities and new friends. Often they have mini-groups or friendship groups that specialize in different kinds of quilting and maybe you could find one that is for "newbies." With your sewing background, it won't take you long to learn. I think the main difference between most kinds of sewing and quilting is the need for accuracy.
And isn't retirement wonderful? Now you have the time for all those things you wanted to do but couldn't.