How is it possible that a 76-year-old woman

Yeah, it's my mother. Maybe that says it all. She has told me she wishes she could change how she and my father parented my brothers and me when we were growing up. In the 60s and 70s nobody really thought about how to parent. They just did it, good and bad, so I'm dealing with the fallout of their choices just like every other person alive.  I think we've had the normal ups and downs, although my mother has been and continues to be a very critical, judgmental person, not just with me, but with everyone else (though not to their faces), so that is her personality. I was on the phone with her and mentioned that my husband, who had had back surgery recently, was irked that his kids hadn't called in a couple days to see how he was, and she said, "Well, he divorced their mother, so what does he expect?"  He and his ex-wife have been divorced for 25 years, and he and his kids have a good relationship. I was literally speechless. She then went into a mini-tirade about my husband, his kids, our jobs, our lifestyle. She then told me that she and my dad had gotten this great deal on tuna at Menard's, and when she was telling her Senior Citizens group about it, one of the ladies said told her that she herself had been to Menard's and that it wasn't a good deal because the tuna was off brand blah blah blah, and my mother was furious at being flatly contradicted! So I knew then that my mom was "sharing the wealth" of her anger, and it was at me.

I know my mom is by nature a high-strung person and have brushed off a lot of things over the years. But I find myself really wanting to tell her off. In my head I know it's the wrong thing to do, but in my heart I really actually believe that I would feel better if I did it. I'm wondering now if she has no respect for me for not standing up to her. I'm wondering if anyone finally told someone some unpleasant truths and actually did feel better. Thanks for letting me vent, if nothing else.