Help -Numbers update wiped out spreadsheets/templates

Question

MacBook Pro  OSx 10.8.5    Update of iWorks 09 - Numbers wiped out all my templates/spreadsheets.
The only ones shown are apples......where are mine?  Need that data.  Does anyone know where it went?
Or more importantly, how do I get them back?
Help Please.  Thank you
If Im in the wrong place, I'm sorry. Not sure what the difference is.  Appleworks vs iWorks
I thought Appleworks name was changed to iWorks. Used Appleworks for years but when bought this
computer, had to buy new  "works" because other was so old.     ??

Answer 1

Barry,
Thank you for your response.
I haven't upgraded to Mavericks. Reading forums, it seems there are a lot of
problems people are having and features that have changed that aren't popular
with long time "Macs".
I was having problems with Java after updating to Safari 6.1, and eventually,
uninstalled and reinstalled OSX 10.8.5 to get back to Safari  6.0.5. I'm not
positive where I got the upgrade from but if I recall correctly, Software Update
said I needed to update.....so I did. However, I don't remember if it was before
or after reinstalling my OS. ?? If it was before, my templates wouldn't have still
been in the trash because I usually empty it daily. 
My "Numbers" is v  2.3. It looks completely different than it did the last time I'd
used it. The "Pages" in my iWorks '09  folder is v 4.3  and Keynote is v 5.3. 
If that helps you  figure out where it came from and why things disappeared.
I did find my templates, but not where you said they'd be.  Fortunately, after
reinstalling OS 10.8.5, I found a lot of files in my trash. Not knowing what they
all were, little voices were warning me, so I didn't empty it -- just in case
something was there that shouldn't be. Too many problems lately to trust
anything. Last night I went thru all those files. Most were things I couldn't
understand when I attempted to open them. However, I did find a "Numbers"
Folder. WIthin it was a  "Templates" folder and within that was another..
"My Templates". When removed that from the trash, those opened and were
what I'd lost -- or would have if I'd just emptied my trash.
I also found among those files:
A "Calendar" folder that had everything that was on my Calendar but had
also disappeared;
A "Safari" folder that had all my bookmarks, et el.
A couple "Turbox Tax" folders for years past. I just pulled them out but haven't
tried to open everything to see what's there. I didn't think any of my Turbo Tax
should have been removed.
A "Mail" folder with, among other things, another folder within it called "V2".
Inside that were several other folders. One contained a lot of mail I'd downloaded
but hadn't moved out of "Mail" in a folder called "POP-(old email address)".
Also were Logs, Keychains, Crash reports and something called
"Saved Application State". 
I tried to find the same folders in my present "Library". If I was able to find them,
they didn't have my old data.  Afraid to delete the above Folders, I saved them.
I may not be able to get everything back to where it was, but at least I'll have it.
When I uninstalled and reinstalled OSX 10.8.5,  it took over 12 hrs!
I couldn't believe it was actually taking that long. I don't know if that's normal or not.
I'd found the instructions for doing this in a blog......somewhere.  Again, having the
problem with Java not working or being recognized as being present, and after days
going thru Apple's Community forums, everything I could find on Java's website
& Pogo's website, I finallyGoogled it. I found lots of other people were having the
same, or different problems since upgrading to Safari 6.1.  Someone had posted
instructions on how to go about getting Safari 6.0.5 back. Starting up while holding
the "Command" and "R" keys, selecting to reinstall the OS and being taken to
the Apple App Store to download from there. One person did say it took a long time
but I had no idea their "long time" was going to be 12 hours!
Unfortunately, I'd just received Time Capsule but hadn't set it up and copied my
entire System and everything on it yet -- so it wasn't properly backed up.
The external drive I'd used before, rewrote files every time I backed up.
I was losing things so I quit using it.
I'd never experienced anything like this before and don't know if this was
suppose to happen or not after using the "Command" & "R" keys starting up.
No one called it a "clean system install" so I wasn't expecting it. Infact, they
only said to be sure to back-up your bookmarks, passwords & contacts. I'd
reset Safari, trying  to solve the Java problem, so those had already been
wiped out-- or so I thought. Judging just from the number of Bookmarks found
in the trash, I think they may all be there.
I guess the bottomline here is.......don't empty your "Trash" after upgrading
anything until you know things aren't being trashed that you want.
If this wasn't suppose to happen, it's a bug that needs to fixed.
Thanks again.
Ricki