Mr. Silver, thanks for your amusing story. It is true. Amidst all the angst of the past year, there were some really funny moments created by my mom's mental regression/disorientation.

One day when I was feeding her breakfast, she made a face like she no longer liked the breakfast she'd been eating for years (yogurt with almonds). I told her she didn't have to eat anything she didn't like.

She looked right at me and defiantly turned her head and spit a whole almond out as far as she could, about 8 feet, and then just looked at me sideways with a wicked smile, like she knew she'd done something naughty.