You can't help - I just need a friendly ear I guess.

[KateandtheGirls]

As most of you are probably aware, my husband was killed on Sept 11 2001 at the World Trade Center.

I had come to terms (sort of) with the fact that my husband was murdered.

I had come to terms (sort of) with it being on our daughter's 2nd birthday.

I had come to terms (sort of) with being 11 weeks pregnant at the time, and our youngest daughter never knowing her father.

I had come to terms (sort of) with not having a body, or any "proof" that he was even in the building that day.

I had come to terms (sort of) with not knowing what happened to him and how he died.

I had come to terms (sort of) with the fact that he walked out of the door one morning to go to work and was never seen or heard from again.

I thought the hard part was over.

It's been almost 3 and a half years but it's still not over. A website was just launched which contains 8,000 photos recovered from the wreckage of the World Trade Center, for family members to look through and claim. I'm 600 photos in.

I know that my husband had at least one photo on his desk (of our daughter of course), possibly more. So of course I have to look through all the pictures. It's heartbreaking. Every picture is of a baby, or a smiling couple, or a bunch of people at a party, etc. And you just know that all the people in those photos are now orphans, widows, widowers, parents who have lost a child. And the photos, of course, are not all in great shape. You can see where they have been burned.

But every time I click the button to move on to the next picture I know that I could see my daughter's sweet, innocent face smiling at me, the way her father last saw her. Could anything be more depressing?

i'd like to second (or third) what tamum said .. if you don't need me, please feel free not to respond to my cat either

hope you are feeling stronger today Kate

Demented, I had problems getting onto the website too at first, so I just pasted the first few bits of the web address instead and managed to get in that way, the link doesn't always work. Also, when you do get in, if you view the pictures as a slide show, you might want to put the settings so that the picture moves on every 2 seconds (which is the fastest it goes) as otherwise it can takes ages and i.e. the section I looked at had a lot of technical pictures of boats and stuff that I knew weren't relevant. Hope it's ok to post this Kate, it might help someone.

Not a word for them, moo - I call them "friends I haven't met yet"

Hobbits .. hobbits in your computer

oh, Kate. I have tears in my eyes. Didn't know about your dreadful loss. I'm so terribly sorry. love and hugs to you and the girls.

Blossomhill, I got your email.

WWWW - no problem.

Have e-mailed you. Do you want me to check another catalogue for you?

Just checking you also got my e-mail with links

Yes Kate, please don't bother to add more work by e-mailing me if you don't need me. Glad you're feeling so much better about the whole thing.

K&TG, I have mailed you as I am still having trouble with the link, I have tried on and off several times this evening and have tried out WWW's suggestion, I can get to the main website but am clueless of where to go after that.

Meant to echo the others by saying if you decide to pass it on to someone else don't feel you have to reply back to my mail as, I would imagine, you will be busy enough at the moment.

I really would like to help but not at the expense of holding you up.

Just seen this, Kate. What a wonderful bunch of MNtters on here, glad some of your burden has been lifted.

demented, if you want to email me in the morning I can tell you how I got in if you want - wickedwaterwitchy at hotmail dot com

That's an excellent description, Jan

www, can I mail you in the afternoon? DH has gone off with my laptop, I would be best to mail you from there.

Demented, course! I may not get it straight away as I will be doing school, library etc but should be able to reply today.

www, sorry for not getting back to you sooner. K&TG resent the link and it is working now. Thanks for your help though.

OK demented, no worries, glad it's working!

Kate

have CAT'd you with any possibles from the set you asked me to do.

Let me know if you need anything else won't you. I'm "happy" to do more sets if you need any looked over again

Thinking of you all

MP X

meant to say emailed, rather than CAT'd - if it matters...

Hi Kate. Just wanted to say I am thinking of you. Hope some of the burden has been lifted with all the help you are getting.
Take care x

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Unfortunately, as I thought, there were no photos from Jim's desk. But I am so grateful for all of you who helped me by looking through them for me, and everyone else who offered to help, and everyone who just added words of support.

Thank you to:

CarrieG,
Moomina,
AuntyQuated,
JanH,
MarthaMoo,
WWW,
MancMum,
MotherPeculiar,
Sobernow,
Yurtgirl,
HunkerMunker,
Lunavix,
Hub2dee,
Essbee,
Blossomhill,
Soapbox,
SallyStrawberry,
Fairyfly,
Beetroot,
ColinsMommy,
Gothicmama,
Mears,
Batters,
Trefusis,
Prufrock,
Demented,
Cod,
PinkDiamond,
Nightowl, and
Carla

for looking through pictures for me.

And thank you as well to:

Tamum,
SuzyWong,
Galaxy,
Emmatmg,
Christie,
Berolina,
Mishmash,
Caligula,
Seriouslycelibate,
Motherinferior,
Ghosty,
Sophable,
Spacecadet,
Christie,
Charlie01,
Wild,
Marj,
Taramac,
Twiglett,
Tinker,
Soupdragon,
Suedonim,
Leglebegle,
Romantick,
Fimblesfan,
Fisil,
GRMum,
Crystaltips,
Kernowcat, and
JJ

for offering to help.

You're all wonderful.

Bumping for anyone who didn't see it earlier

Kate,
I'm glad that this is over for you.
xxxxxxxxx

Just seen this...so pleased the mn'ers rallied round and did the rest of us, who missed it, proud.